High School Never Ends
by ZareEraz
Summary: AU Fem!Kotetsu/Barnaby. Tetsuko has to repeat her senior year of high school for various reasons and has to do it alone, without her wingman Antonio. Making new enemies and destroying school property are all in a day's work, but when she's put on the Public Relations Committee with Hall Monitor Barnaby Brooks Jr., fur is going to fly!
1. Late Again

A/N: I do not own Tiger&Bunny (though I wish I did). Please excuse any spelling mistakes (I tried really hard!) Rating is prone to change. Enjoy!

High School Never Ends

Tetsuko was late to class. Again. It was only the first week of the new school year and she'd been late twice. But this time it wasn't her fault. Well, it wasn't _mostly_ her fault. The traffic lights in her neighborhood weren't working correctly in the Oriental sector of town that morning so walking to school was a pain! It was like playing that old American game…_what was it called again? _She mused on route to her high school_. Oh, yeah! Frogger!_ Tetsuko dashed down the sidewalk when the school came into focus, just to hide in the bushes when she realized the front gates were closed already.

"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath, blowing her spiky, dark hair out of her face. Her golden eyes scanned the perimeter of the school and spotted her nemesis: a hall monitor. This kid was one of the new members of the disciplinary committee by the looks of it (since Tetsuko hadn't had a run-in with him yet) and he was pacing the grounds just inside the gates. _Probably waiting to catch late students. _Tetsuko knew how the game worked, being one of the late students many times during her school career. If she was being honest with herself, being tardy was half the reason she was forced to come back to school as a hold-back. The other half was probably the bad grades, the constant fights she got into and that one time a teacher had caught her in the bathroom with Antonio. The school board was more pissed off her at her for being in the boy's bathroom with a guy than the fact that they were doing drugs in there. How messed up was that?

Studying the guy behind the gate from her bush, Tetsuko decided he wasn't bad looking (except for the dorky looking hexagonal glasses plastered to his face). He had pale, flawless skin, shiny blond hair that definitely had product in it and had been curled this morning, and gorgeous green eyes. He was probably Tetsuko's height, probably a bit taller than her five feet eleven inches (that's half the reason no one would date her) and had the overall look of I'm-holier-than-thou while wearing the dark green pants, cream button-down and jacket of the boy's uniform. He also had the disciplinary committee's white armband on his left bicep to complete the look.

Tetsuko spotted his first victim, another student that lived not far from her house. Ducking down further into her bush she watched the encounter as the monitor harshly (abet suavely) slapped the kid with a late slip and sent him inside with an entirely too long lecture about punctuality. When the student tried to explain what had happened on the way to school, the monitor brushed off all his excuses with a piercing glare that cowed the kid. Tetsuko decided it was time to get to class the fun way.

"This would be more fun with you, Antonio." She sighed as she pictured the broad Spaniard with his ridiculous chest hair and bright smile. She backed away from the gate to her sneak-in tree. Antonio would always wait for her here so that they could sneak in together, but now that he had graduated, she'd have to do it alone. The cherry blossom tree stood at a corner in the outer walls of the school compound, and with one quick jump she scaled the wall and scrambled up the tree until she was high enough to reach the second floor of the high school building. The building planners had put the school really close to the wall right here and with a well placed foot, Tetsuko had just enough leverage to yank herself up onto a windowsill and crack the pane open so she could slip through.

_If only I didn't have to do this in a skirt! _She thought as the Japanese girl dusted off her emerald colored skirt and checked to see if her cream blouse was straight. Dressed in the girl's version of the uniform, Tetsuko wore the pleated skirt too high, the blouse too low, accented with a purple beaded cancer awareness bracelet, thick black wristwatch and added her favorite black tie with a line of white dots down the middle just to piss off the teachers. She tapped her black penny loafers on more securely when she heard the sound of footsteps. Thinking quick, Tetsuko leapt up onto one of the random filing cabinets in the hall and pushed off to reach the flimsy tiling in the ceiling. She pushed one of the sections away, scrambled onto the walkway, and replaced the tile just as the footsteps turned into her hallway.

Tetsuko slowed her breathing so she wouldn't get caught and waited for the monitor to go away. After pacing for a few minutes the first set of feet were joined by another. Crouching down to listen in, Tetsuko pressed her ear to the tile to hear the conversation.

"See anyone outside, Mr. Brooks?" It was Yuri Petrov! That bastard had carded Tetsuko so many times the two years he'd been here that the chick could've make a whole scrapbook out of the stupid pink slips! She hated the sinister glint in his gray eyes and wanted to hack off his gray-blond hair right at the pony-tail!

"I carded a few late students by the gate." The other voice answered. _So Brooks must be the new kid I saw!_

"Good, those slackers need to be punished for their rule breaking." Yuri's grave voice paused, as if her were thinking. "If you ever catch Tetsuko Kaburagi coming in late, send her to my office." _Crap! He's onto me!_

"Is she the student who was held back a year?" Brooks asked.

"Yes and a notorious troublemaker. She's destroyed school property before and won't stop this year, I suppose. She's got this sense of justice that compels her to help those weaker than her, even if they don't want it, and in the process tends to destroy things."

"How absurd."

"I agree. Keep your eyes peeled." Petrov ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Tetsuko got the image of the newbie saluting Petrov and had to hold back a laugh.

They both moved off until Tetsuko couldn't hear their footsteps anymore. Her muscles complained about their cramped position as she slowly stood up on the ceiling's walkway. Stretching out her insanely long legs, she made her way down the cat walk to a remote corner of the school where she could slip back into the school crowd when the bell rang.

The dim light from the windows below filtered up into the ceiling and gave Tetsuko enough light to see by as she ducked under ventilation tubes and electrical sires. Her feet knew the way by heart, she'd been up here so many times. One time she managed to get Antonio up here but his weight and almost knocked some of the ducts out of place when he bumped into them. So, he'd left what they dubbed "the shadow walk" to Tetsuko.

After winding around for a few minutes, Tetsuko came to an intersection of two walls - the corner of the building - and slung her backpack off her shoulder. Slumping down against the wall, she fished out a juice box from this morning's breakfast and punched the straw into the box. Her kaa-san knew that Tetsuko was constantly running late and packed her breakfast and lunch. Tetsuko had eaten the omelet on the way to school but neglected the juice box until now. _If only I had some ice to crunch with it. _She slurped the drink noisily as she checked her watch on the left wrist. She still had twenty minutes until second period started.

She sighed as her gaze fell on her left ring finger. A simple silver band adorned her tan skin. It was a promise ring, a gift from her boyfriend. Or the man who used to be her boyfriend. This was a promise ring for two reasons: she had promised herself to Tomoe two years ago and Tomoe had made her promise to help those in need. Tears pricked Tetsuko's eyes as the ring dragged out grief-laden memories and she angrily wiped them away. She whipped out her phone, a touch screen with a dark black case with a white slashed boarder, almost as if a tiger had chewed her phone. She checked her texts: Tonio had sent her a message. _I didn't think he was ever up this early with his new job._

Bison: What's up Tets?

Tetsuko: Late again. Wasn't my fault. XP

Bison: What happened?

Tetsuko: Lights were all wonky this morning. And Petrov sicked the new monitor on me.

Bison: That's rough. ; Better not be late anymore, Tiger.

Tetsuko: You know how well that works, cow. Even if I get up extra early, I somehow manage to be late anyway.

Bison: Quit callin me a cow, I hate it. X Just make sure he doesn't catch you any of our routes or you won't have an escape.

Tetsuko: Thanks for the advice, mr. obvious.

Bison: Just doing my job.

Tetsuko: Btw, how is the new job?

Bison: Gyu-Kaku is great! And the boss is totally fine with giving good servers free barbecue!

Tetsuko: Good, that way they can fatten you up, cow.

Bison: Stop calling me cow, kitty!

Tetsuko: I'm not a kitty! I'm a tiger! Anyway I g2g. Second is starting.

Bison: Good luck…kitty!

Tetsuko: X

Tetsuko snapped her phone shut and peeked out of a tile to check the hallway. All clear. The bell was about to ring and she needed to be in the hall before anyone spotted her coming out of the ceiling. She pried the tile up and softly jumped down onto the floor just as the bell rang. This hallway only held a janitorial closet so no one regularly came down this way. _It's a good thing home room is my second period or else I'd be busted by now! _She blended into the crowd and made her way to homeroom period.

T&B

Barnaby Brook Jr. was the third person to show up to homeroom. The other two were girls, one who kept sneaking glances at him from down the row and blushing. The other was asleep at her desk one row behind him, leaning back in her chair. He shook his head at her sloppy appearance. His eyes skipped over her scantily exposed chest (he did not need to blush right in the middle of class), messy dark hair and unnecessary accessorizing (the tie needed to go and she had way to many bracelets on) and he was going to card her but saw that someone else had already done it for him-the pink slip was hanging out of her bag.

Barnaby winked at the blushing girl as he got out his materials for class. She nearly fell out of her seat. Other students filtered in as the minutes passed. The junior spotted Nathan Seymour with his bright pink hair saunter in and sit down at his desk near the back. He may be wearing the school's male uniform, but that didn't stop him from wearing star earrings and applying lipstick with a compact at his desk. He was the one person that Barnaby wasn't supposed to card: his family funded half the school's clubs so the gay guy got to wear lipstick when he wanted. A fellow upstanding student sat just a few seats down from Barnaby's front row seat and called hello to everyone…twice. Keith Goodman, Student Body President, was very good at repeating himself.

"Good morning, Barnaby! And again, good morning!" The blond waved to the teen from his seat with a blinding smile and Barnaby greeted him cheerfully, hiding his annoyance with his own smile. Just before the bell rang, Mr. Lloyds walked into the room and began setting up for class. Ivan Karelin quietly made his way over to his seat next to the sleeping girl and gently poked her in the cheek. Nothing. Barnaby turned away when Karina Lyle slipped in just as the bell was ringing, humming the newest pop song on the radio as she took her seat near the middle of the class room.

"Good morning class," Mr. Lloyds greeted, his pale blue eyes held no hint of any "good". Mr. Lloyds also had a strange hair style: dark hair on the side and then light gray combed over from a left part, but the gray could've just been from aging. He observed his class, straightening his immaculate gray suit and red tie.

"Good morning, Mr. Lloyds," the class answered in unison. The sleeping girl with the dark hair and huge boobs sat up semi-straight in her chair and joined the class. _Finally, _Barnaby mentally rolled his eyes.

"Time for roll," and then the teacher began going down the list of student's names. Barnaby said "Here," when his name was called. Barnaby was still new at this school so he really only paid attention to the names of the students he'd spotted before class until Kaburagi's popped up.

"Tetsuko Kaburagi," Mr. Lloyds called.

"Here, teach." The warm voice drifted from the mouth of the busty girl two rows back that had been sleeping before class. Barnaby's head shot around to stare at her. Her golden eyes landed on him and she smirked in a way that was irritating and comforting at the same time, if that was even possible. Other than the disregard for school dress code, she didn't look as dangerous as Yuri made her out to be. Her smirk turned into an embarrassed smile as Mr. Lloyds made a comment about being an example for the other students because she's already done this course already. Barnaby thought her blush was kind of cute. Then he got a hold of himself and abruptly turned back to face the front. _She's one to watch, _Barnaby reminded himself harshly.

He then proceeded to ignore her for the rest of the class.

When the bell rang, three people made their way over to Kaburagi's desk. Barnaby lingered as well, other students were headed off to lunch now and some of them were still in the classroom so it wouldn't look suspicious as he took stock of the trouble maker. Nathan, Karina and Ivan all reached the girl at the same time and began talking at once until she called for quiet.

"Quiet!" She sighed in a defeated way that revealed that this happened quite often. "Okay, Nathan, you first." She pointed her attention at the pink- haired, black man.

"Oh, honey!" His falsetto voice grated on Barnaby's ears, but he could live with it. "Couldn't you manage to drag my 'Tonio back with you? I'll die without my sweetcheeks!"

"Personally, he's glad he's gone, second, he didn't get in as much trouble as me and his butt is now safe from your hands. Next!" The Japanese girl dismissed the man and slapped his hands away from her hair. "My hair is fine the way it is, Nathan!"

"So cruel!" the man teased, winking at her, "If you were a man I'd be all over you right now!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm a girl!" She shot back. "Ivan, what did you want to say?"

The quiet Russian kid spoke up politely, "Nee-san," it was a term unfamiliar to Barnaby, "did you get the manga I asked for yesterday?" He asked, his purple eyes pleading.

"Yeah! It's in my bag!" Kaburagi's face lit up again as she dug around in her bag for the Japanese comic book. She yanked out three copies of paper, slightly batter from use. "This shonen"-yet another unfamiliar term that Barnaby was going to have to look up- "is awesome! I know you'll love it!"

"Arigatou, nee-san!" _That one means "thank you."_ He mused as the blond stashed away his prize.

"Okay, Karina," Kaburagi turned to the other blonde and folded her hands on top of her desk, business-like. "What's up?" The girl flipped her long hair over her shoulder and stared deep into Tetsuko's eyes.

"What's your secret?" She asked intently, golden eyes locked onto a similar pair.

"Which one do you want to know?" The hold-back answered mysteriously. _This is getting interesting, _Barnaby mused_. Maybe I'll gleam some of Kaburagi's tricks so I can catch her. _Karina leaned in and the junior found himself doing the same to hear what she asked.

"How do you get you boobs so big?" Barnaby wanted to slap her. _That's not what I wanted to know! _He screamed inwardly, but on the outside he was perfectly composed as he finished cleaning up his books. Tetsuko stammered out a response that its genetics as Ivan blushed beat red and Nathan crooned at the topic. Then Mr. Lloyds voice broke into Barnaby's eavesdropping.

"Ms. Kaburagi, Mr. Brooks I'd like to meet with you after classes are over if you don't mind." His voice may have been pleasant, but the statement was an unmistakable order.

"But I didn't do anything wrong!" Kaburagi shouted, standing up from her seat. "I didn't even fall asleep in class!" Barnaby new it couldn't be disciplinary actions because he'd done nothing wrong as will.

"I'll be here after school, sir." He answered, and nodded at his homeroom teacher.

"Good, Barnaby." Lloyds' glared swiveled to the girl, "And I trust that you will be here as well?"

"Yes, teach," Kaburagi sighed in agreement.

"Then it's all settled." Lloyds took his leave and Barnaby followed him out, glancing one last time at Kaburagi with her smile gone. He decided she only looked good with a smile. A frown made her look old.

Barnaby spent his lunch outside, sitting in the shade under a tree listening to music. He'd brought lunch with him- a salad kept cold in his lunch box- but he didn't touch it. He wasn't very hungry. Instead he let opera music sweep him up as it filtered in through his headphones. The headphones were one of his most precious possessions, the other being a toy robot from his parents. The headphones had a red headband with clear pink spiked attachments on top of the speakers. He'd bought them with his own money the year he entered high school and never went anywhere without them.

When the current aria ended, Barnaby took the chance to look around. The day was nice and most of the students were outside enjoying the sunshine. Most of them were in clumps of friends, laughing and sharing lunches (or not) or gossiping about the latest fashions or sport scores. Barnaby felt no desire to join any of them. He felt no need to make friends, not when there were more important things to take care of.

A commotion behind the school startled the teen out of his thoughts. Most of the students looked around for a moment and then came to a conclusion that some voiced out loud: "Kaburagi's in a fight again." Barnaby stashed his lunch in a bush along with his headphones and ran off to the back end of the building. He dashed along the grass as fast as his feet could carry him until he reached the corner of the building. Not wanting to rush in without a plan, Barnaby hid behind the wall and listened to what was going on while he caught his breath.

"I thought we wouldn't have to deal with you again, Kaburagi. But I guess we can't all have what we want," The deep voice taunted.

"Shut your mouth, Jake! The only reason you're still coming here is because your underlings are still in school. You're not supposed to trespassing on school property anyway!" Kaburagi spat back at him. Barnaby snuck a quick glance at the situation.

Tetsuko was pinned against a wall, fists up in defense and surrounded by five guys in various shades of black and red. Except for one guy in a school uniform and another who…_What the hell is he wearing? _The man in question had two toned pink and yellow hair the top of his head and cropped on the sides, monster side burns, a wacky beard, tattooed skin, red pants and some sort of white leg brace on his left leg. His shoes seemed to be part of his pants and he wore a zebra striped, pleather jacket that fell to his waist and had fur that crept up the guy's neck. He held something in his right hand but Barnaby was to far away to see what it was.

"But what's the fun of school life if you can't beat lunch money out of snotlings?" The man Barnaby assumed was Jake replied.

"Lunch money's not all you want!" Tetsuko was sporting several bruises and was breathing heavily, several storage crates had been crushed and two more guys were unconscious.

"Well, you're right, but we'll start with your lunch money anyway." Jake held up a bag and rummaged around until he produced a wallet. It was Kaburagi's backpack!

"Paws off!" Tetsuko finally attacked, moving so fast Barnaby struggled to follow her movements. Punching the lights out of the closest guy and slugging the boy in the school uniform, both went down quickly as she moved on. But they were ready for her at this point and one guy punched the girl in the jaw and the second kicked her gut, causing her to crump to the ground. Barnaby expected her to stay down but she got up and took the two who attacked her by surprise when she threw them into the wall. By this time Jake had fished out all her money and chucked the bag high up into the tree where it caught on a branch. Tetsuko roared in frustration and raced towards him.

Barnaby leapt into action. He kicked the goon headed towards Tetsuko in the chest and sent him flying into a nearby tree and round-house kicked the goon coming after him. Kaburagi reached Jake and tackled him to the ground while he just laughed. He flipped her off and began an intricate dance of dodge with the girl. Every time she jabbed at him, he'd leap out of the way and wave Kaburagi's money in her face, laughing manically. Tetsuko growled and moved faster, almost a blur. Baranby kicked the guy he'd sent to the ground in the stomach so he couldn't breathe and went to help his classmate.

Caught off by a second kid fighting him, Jake dropped the cash on the ground and leapt over the wall and disappeared. Tetsuko bent down to pick up the contents of the wallet and return them to their proper place. Panting she looked around and caught sight of Barnaby. He watched her carefully. Smoothing out her skirt, she held out her hand.

"Thanks for the help. I'd never have gotten out of that one conscious if you hadn't come along-"

"Barnaby. Barnaby Brooks Jr." He clasped her hand and pumped up and down once before letting go.

"Tetsuko Kaburagi." She gave him a goofy and wiped some blood off her face.

"You really shouldn't get into fights on school grounds. It give the school a bad reputation and causes you to have damage fees from the administration." Barnaby decided to give her the short lecture since it seemed she didn't start the fight. Seven against one was a really stacked fight. Jake played dirty.

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Monitor, in a perfect world nobody would get into fights. But since they do its my duty to protect others when they do happen, and myself when necessary." Tetsuko looked around, _searching for her bag_, Barnaby guessed.

"In the tree." He supplied, "But this was just plain reckless! Yuri was right." Barnaby looked at the broken crates and the bodies on top of them. "You really do break things without thinking about it."

"Well, next time you're cornered at lunch, I challenge you to do better!" Tetsuko spotted her bag high in the tree and made her way over there.

"I probably could, and I wouldn't-" Barnaby cut himself off when the Japanese girl jumped to reach the first branch and pulled herself up onto it. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think? My homework's in that bag along with my cell phone and everything else I need. I'm gonna get it!"

"It's against school rules to climb trees." Barnaby told her, grabbing the pink slips out of his pocket and began writing out a notice. She replied with a "Shove off!" Barnaby glanced up to watch her climb up the second branch with a sigh and then had to look away as her panties came into view under her skirt. His blush crawled up his face as he called out to her.

"Come down from there! I can see your u-un-underwear!" He stuttered on "underwear" as Tetsuko's skirt got caught on a branch and hiked the fabric up even further.

"Well don't look!" She yanked her skirt down but continued climbing until she was three-fourths of the way up the tree and reached her bag. She unhooked it from the small branch and looped the strap around her arm to climb down again. Barnaby watched her carefully, but didn't look at her butt. Then Barnaby head a _CRACK_ as a branch snapped from Tetsuko's weight. She flailed her arms around as she fell straight down. Barnaby acted fast and dashed forward to catch her.

She landed in his arms heavily, backpack thudding to the ground next to him, but the teen managed not to drop the girl. She had her hands plastered over her face, but Barnaby could tell she had her eyes squeezed shut tightly.

"You can open your eyes now." He grumbled moodily. She wasn't as heavy as he thought she was. For her height, Tetsuko was surprisingly light but she had a lot of sharp angles and pokey bones along with her toned muscles. Except her breasts. Which were right by Barnaby's face. And he could totally see her lacey bra underneath with the way she buttoned her blouse. Low. Very low. His blush got deeper for a moment but disappeared when Kaburagi opened her eyes. They were like whirlpools of molten gold, wide and frightened from her fall. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking like a fish until she found the words she was looking for.

"T-th-thank you." She was the one stuttering now. "Now please put me down. This is embarrassing."

"What is?"

"Me, Tetsuko Kaburagi, being caught like a damsel in distress. I have a reputation to protect you know."

"Notorious trouble maker?" Barnaby guessed.

"Bingo."

"Don't go climbing anymore trees." He stated sharply, hiding his feelings behind curt words. "I won't catch you next time." He then dropped her right on her butt. She landed with an "oof!" and glared daggers and the blond.

"I take back anything nice I said. You're horrible."

"And you're annoying." He quipped back. She stood up and thrust a finger at his chest, getting right in his face with hers.

"Well, I don't try to be but you make it really easy!" She shouted. "Bratty, snot nosed kid you are, who can't tell where his ass ends and where his head starts!"

"And your just an old lady who to dumb to graduate high school and is stupid enough to climb trees in a skirt!"

"What did you call me?" She stared in shock at the name calling.

"Old lady, I believe." Barnaby slapped her finger away and glared right into her eyes.

"Why you-!" And that's how the teachers found them. Name calling and arguing in the middle of seven unconscious trespassers.

A/N: Aw...how cute! Their first argument! Reviews and comments are appreciated...and again, appreciated! :D


	2. Duo

**A/N:** Hey guys! ZareEraz here! Chapter two's a long one but I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 2: Duo

Tetsuko was still pissed off when she stalked into Mr. Lloyds' office at the end of school. _How dare he call me old! I'm only two years older than him! _She slumped into her seat and waited for the men to show up. She'd cleaned off her uniform as much as she could and the nurse had to tape a cold compress to her swelling jaw. The bandage was making her itch and it was hard to talk with pain zinging up her head. Her ribs were aching from the fight as well as her legs and butt. But the butt problem was all _his _fault. She huffed and turned her head towards the windows to watch the other students leave for the day or attend their club activities. Antonio used to be on the wrestling team and Tetsuko had been on the kickboxing team until they kicked her out for missing so many practices. _It seems I can't do anything right anymore. _She sighed as she thought about all the fights she'd tried to dissipate and all the arguments she'd ever had with Antonio and her mother that she, maybe, could've prevented.

Just then, the brat showed up wearing the most ridiculous headphones. They were red and pink and had attachments like looked like fins on a car. Or rabbit ears. Tetsuko had to choke down her laugh as she pictured Brooks as a rabbit. Barnaby sat up front in his usual seat and completely ignored his classmate. Tetsuko wondered what type of music he was listening too. He wasn't bobbing his head or anything, so it must've not been anything popular on the radio. Tetsuko gave up and stared out the window.

Mr. Lloyds showed up a few minutes later, carting a whole bunch of papers in his arms. He dumped them on one of the desks and sat down in his chair. Tetsuko saw that Barnaby had put away his head phones with lighting speed and watched the teacher with rapt attention.

"It occurred to the school board that Sternbuild High is in need of a new Public Relations committee." He turned to Barnaby as Tetsuko gaped at him with an open jaw (or as much has her jaw could open). "Your uncle, Principal Maverick personally recommended you, Mr. Brooks, for your looks, grades and upstanding record." Barnaby seemed to glow with ego as he turned to smirk at Tetsuko.

"So why am I here if Brooks is going to take care of it?" Tetsuko asked, miffed.

"You're a familiar face in the community. You're family has lived here a long time you yourself get along with pretty much everyone in this town, if I'm told correctly." Lloyds paused here, seeming to choose his words carefully. "So the board wants you two to team up and get the school's name out there for sponsors. We need donations, sponsors for sports teams and clubs, and funding for events."

"What? You want us to team up?" Tetsuko nearly shrieked. She had to hold her jaw when she opened her mouth too wide.

"I don't agree with this either, sir." Barnaby was on Tetsuko's side for once.

"It'll be okay, Mr. Brooks. I'm sure Ms. Kaburagi will shape up and everything will go smoothly." Mr. Lloyds spoke as if he were consoling an upset child, which Barnaby was in Tetsuko's eyes.

"You want me to work with that skinny brat?" She asked once Lloyds turned away from Brooks.

"You seem to have nothing else to do with your life since you are repeating a grade and haven't joined any clubs." Tetsuko was about to crack open her arsenal of mostly polite yet completely disrespectful speech when the brat spoke up again.

"Can I go now?" Brooks asked politely.

"Yes, of course, Barnaby. You must have other duties to attend to right now." Lloyds switched into child mode again and let Barnaby leave with Tetsuko glaring daggers into his head.

"But what makes you think I want to be on the P. R. committee?"She asked once Brooks had disappeared. Mr. Lloyds was sitting at his desk and Tetsuko was standing at her own desk, hands flat on the surface, leaning over to argue.

"You will be on the committee or I will have to ask the board to suspend you for lack of corporation and blatant refusal to help the school. Or you could just drop out. But then you won't have a high school diploma and without that, getting a decent job is hard and you can't go into college to get a degree…" Lloyds listed as Tetsuko began to sweat.

"Okay I get it!" She admitted he had a point. She needed her diploma. "Fine. I'll try this, but I won't be happy about it."

"I'm not asking you to be happy; I'm asking you to deal with it." His voice took on a threatening tone as she spoke.

"Fine. Good day, teach." Tetsuko departed the class and sulked down the hallway only to run into someone.

"Bonjour, student. It is true that you and Barnaby Brooks Jr. are on the Public Relations committee together?" The suave voice that fired off the question belonged to nobody but the advisor to the Newspaper Club.

"How do you know that? Were you eavesdropping? Aren't the students supposed to be the ones doing the reporting Ms. Agnes?" Tetsuko dodged the microphone shoved into her face as she took a few steps back and the brunette followed her. Ms. Agnes Joubert was a lovely woman with just the right about of curves, cleavage and make-up to be irresistible. The only problem was that she was a strong woman with fierce green eyes and a tongue to match that no man wanted to deal with her.

"Yes, Ms. Kaburagi, but I like to be in on the chase as well," Agnes shoved the mic in her face again.

"If you say so, Ms. Agnes," Tetsuko backed up some more, trying to disengage the advisor.

"Well, if you're not going to say anymore about your handsome partner, then I'll leave." She gave a _humph_, her lipsticked mouth turning into a fierce pout.

"Who said he's my partner?"

"You two being a team makes you partners or did you flunk elementary school too?" Joubert's bard stung and Tetsuko glared at her hotly, saying nothing.

"Fine, if you're not going to talk I'm leaving. I've got to go find Cain anyway; he's supposed to have that new footage for the show up and running." Not only did Ms. Agnes head the Newspaper Club's gazette, she also produced the school's TV channel that was broadcast every Wednesday during the lunch period. "But, I will be back to interview your partner. We'll do a whole feature on him! He's so popular that I can just picture the ratings!" Her eyes got the crazy look in them that almost made Tetsuko feel bad for the torture Barnaby was going to have to go through. Then she remembered that he was a jerk. She didn't feel bad anymore.

"Wait," Tetsuko dawned on the part where she wasn't included in the segment, "Just him? What about me?"

"Everybody already knows about your screw-ups. We can air a blooper segment with your name on it when I've got the time if you want." Agnes giggled evilly. "But you're old news." She waved off the teen's protests as she fiddled with the tape recorder strapped to her hip. A couple of her pens fell out of her pocket and clattered on the floor. Despite being tagged as "old news" and threatened with bloopers, Tetsuko decided to be nice and bent down to pick up the writing utensils.

"No you don't!" Ms. Agnes' voice stopped the girl mid-crouch. The advisor's perfectly manicured red nails grabbed onto the girl's blouse and yanked her off the floor. They then they pointed right in her face threateningly. "Remember what happened last time you touched my stuff?"

Tetsuko recalled one electrical outlet, a lot of plugs, and a school-wide power outage. She blushed and scratched the skin in front of her ear while tucking her other arm behind her head in embarrassment.

"I said I was sorry already, geez!"

"Still doesn't change the fact that you deleted valuable footage from my system." The pencil-skirted teacher carefully bent down and retriever her own pens. "And it took Dr. Saito half the school day to get the power back on! So, no. You can't touch my things ever again."

"Fine then! I'm gonna go now." Tetsuko pivoted on her heel and sped-walked away from Ms. Agnes before the lady ripped her a new asshole. Again.

"On Friday we're doing the interview so make sure you're in the club's room by three pm!"

"Got it!" Tetsuko called back, waving her arm up in the hair as a goodbye.

_Honestly, that lady's crazy! And when did I become "old news", Tomoe? Everybody seemed to like me well enough last year, even the teachers tolerated me. Now they just single me out for no damn reason for every little thing! So what changed that? Is it the new blood in the school? The fact that I'm a screw up? That I'm a disappointment for having to repeat a grade? I just don't know anymore, Tomoe. _Tetsuko walked outside and headed towards the front gate. She spotted Barnaby talking with another hall monitor by the gate, his wacky headphones slung around his neck. _Great, now I have to walk past him to get out of this place. _

As Tetsuko approached, the second monitor moved away, ending their conversation. Barnaby gave the guy a suave, two-fingered salute as if to say "see ya!" _So he really does salute!_ Tetsuko giggled as her previous thoughts on the shadow walk turned out to be true.

As she passed the junior, (who happened to be glaring at her goofy smile) she gave himsaucy, yet mocking, imitation of his "see ya!" with a lot of hair flipping and a glare to rival his own.

"Bye, bye, Bunny!" She called as she walked out of the school grounds.

"What did you call me, old lady?" He gave Tetsuko's retreating back a startled look. She decided to stop and offer and explanation.

"I called you Bunny, Bunny." Tetsuko smirked evilly. _That's pay back for calling me and old lady, punk! _"You headphones look like bunny ears when you wear them, hence 'Bunny!'"

"My name is Barnaby! Not Bunny!" He yelled as Tetsuko practically skipped down the sidewalk. _I like getting under his skin Tomoe. I think I'll do it more often! _"Get back here, Kaburagi!"

"No can do, Bunny! I've got to go to work!" She gave him one of her signature over-the-head goodbye waves and dashed down the street. "See you tomorrow, Bunny!" _I really do like calling him that!_

"It's Barnaby!" He yelled after her.

The girl caught one of the bus lines into the city. Sternbuild was Tetsuko's kind of place, enough glitz and glamour to make anyone feel fabulous but enough down to earth shops and people that you didn't get overwhelmed by the sheer glare of the city. Sternbuild was set up with the Gold Stage in the center of the city with all the high society neighborhoods, the tallest skyscrapers of the wealthiest businesses and the most expensive shopping complexes and theaters all tinted with a golden luster. The Silver Stage was in the ring around the Gold Stage where more affordable amenities were housed and the middle class neighborhoods were. As with the Gold Stage, that ring had a silver sheen to it. That's also where Tetsuko's high school was. The Bronze Stage was the outermost ring and was less glamorous that then other two stages but was still privileged in a way that most normal people outside the city weren't. The only problem was that gangs like to run in their packs in the bronze shimmer of the Stage. Watching the Silver Stage fly by outside of her window, Tetsuko thought about her dream of getting an apartment in the Gold Stage and making something of herself. She didn't know what she wanted to do in her life yet, but she did want to help people. Soon the silver tinted buildings took on a golden gleam and Tetsuko gathered up her things to get off the bus. Her work had been built at the border between Silver and Gold before the Stages had been fully established and even though it had that crumbly feel, the place was actually respectable and very popular.

Tetsuko made it to work just in time to change into her uniform in the dressing room and get out onto the restaurant's floor. Her boss, Ben Jackson, owned one of most popular hangout spots in Sternbuild: Hero's Bar. It was really a restaurant with a bar attached, but saying Hero's Bar is easier than Hero's Restaurant. The spot served all ages and walks of life, with a superhero themed crew and décor. All of Tetsuko's close friends worked here, they got hired on over the years, but Tetsuko had been here the longest. Ben hired her when she was fourteen (way below the legal age limit) because he knew the Kaburagi's needed the money at the time and Tetsuko already looked sixteen. (Thank you, boobs!)

Tetsuko donned her tight spandex pants in a bright blue with a black underwear-like crotch. Seriously, she felt like Superman in those things. She clipped on her belt with the her tiger icon and yanked her calf high, yellow bordered boots on next, followed by the long-sleeved, low -cut, belly top in blue, yellow and white that fit snuggly over her breasts and stuck her arms in the sleeves. The middle of the shirt was white that flowed over her shoulders and her chest was cupped by yellow designs that also circled her arms. Her forearms had the same white and yellow chevron pattern as her boots. Next she yanked on the black gloves with blue fingers and her gold cuff bracelets. Tetsuko walked over to one of the mirrors fastened to the wall and carefully pulled the compress off her jaw. Her bruise extended from the edge of her jaw bone all the way down to her chin, and happened to still be that icky reddish color of a new bruise. The teen whipped out her make-up bag and coated the injury with several layers of cosmetics until it nearly matched her skin. Last of all – after she had brushed her hair into submission- Tetsuko placed her cowl-like half-mask on the top half of her face. The mask had blue coloring up to her eyes that also extended into the points on her cheeks and nose and then swooped into black cat ears with a bright yellow "T" in the center of her forehead. The hard mask stuck to her face as long as she didn't make any overly weird faces. All dressed, Tetsuko made to dash out the door, but remembered to clip on her short blue cape to her shoulders.

"Hi, Ben!" She greeted the African-American man cheerfully as he passed her in the commons.

"Hey, Tigress." His dark brown eyes lit up as he came to a stop. Ben smiled warmly at his favorite server. At Hero's bar, every server had code names to keep their identities "secret". It was mostly just for fun, but Tetsuko liked it. It made her feel cool. When she'd first started out, Tomoe suggested that she use the kanji in her name to spell out "tiger". And it just kinda stuck. Tetsuko fondly remembered how Tomoe had given Antonio his name Rock Bison, something to do with being strong like a cow. _If only he hadn't hung up his costume, he'd be with me right now. But I can't blame him, the Japanese place pays better._ The hero started to once again make her way out the door.

"Hey, Tetsuko," Ben stopped her from entering the restaurant with a hand on her shoulder.

"What's up?" He seemed to being going over something unpleasant in his head and his face gave him away. Eventually Ben just went the direct approach and told Tetsuko right out.

"Next week you'll be getting a new uniform."

"Why?" she asked, curbing her swear words because she was talking to her boss.

"It's time to update and that thing looks a little worn out." Ben gestured to her current costume. Tetsuko had taken really good care of this one and it only had to be replaced once when she outgrew it.

"But I've always worn this one!" Tetsuko pointed to her spandex, trying to convince her boss to keep it. Panic started to rise in her chest when she thought about parting with her beloved Wild Tigress get-up.

"Don't get me wrong," Ben held up his hands in defense, "I love this costume, and it's just time to spruce up a bit, get with the times."

"But-"

"We'll talk after you shift, okay?" Ben cut her off and pushed the teen out onto the floor. Tetsuko had no choice but to disguise her hurt feelings and panic behind a false smile as several greetings of "Hey, Tigress!" were thrown her way. It's a good thing she took that acting class in junior high, or this would be really hard. Time to get to work.

Hero's Bar was what Tigress liked to call retro. There was neon everywhere and bright, old fashioned posters from superhero movies and comics. Two levels of brightly colored tables wrapped around the restaurant with short stairs leading to each section, and TVs where propped up so guests could watch superhero related shows while they ate. It was in this tumultuous atmosphere where Tigress preformed to her utmost ability.

Nathan Seymour was already in his Fire Emblem attire: red jumpsuit and mask with a cape and flames that looked real. He did this job for fun when he caught Tigress in her costume outside the bar. He thought it was a great way to get out and meet new guys. Yep, guys. He had no interest in women, except for friendship and fashion sense. Right now he was chatting with Pao-Lin Huang, the youngest member of the crew as they filled up drinks at the soda fountain. _Ben must be going for the kawaii look this season because that's the second time he's hired someone under the legal limit, _Tigress pointed out to herself.

The Dragon Kid had on a Chinese themed costume, with a yellow top with red and green dragon designs and bright green poofy shorts. She also wore chunky white arm and leg sleeves that extended up to her elbow and knees with gold ornaments to keep them up and finished off the outfit with red doll shoes. Dragon Kid sported a short green wig to hide her dirty blonde hair and her red headband that held her huge tassel-decorated circle ornaments slipped under the green bangs, completing the look. The two disks had cool dragon designs circling the Hero's Bar logo. Fire Emblem's cape had the same logo on it only wreathed in flames and Tigress wore the simple version on her chest in a yellow oval.

As Tigress checked her section of the floor, she spotted Karina Lyle at the karaoke machine (waiting to sing in between showings of old superhero episodes on the TV screens) in her Blue Rose costume that was even more revealing that the tiger's. Another thing it did was make her boobs look bigger in that skimpy bodice. The dark blue bodice felt into a stiff, see-through skirt that showed Rose's blue underwear and basically everything on her costume had either yellow stripes or boarders. Her tall, white stiletto boots ran all the way up her thighs with the bar's logo surrounded by silver soda bubbles. The other wacky thing her costume had was rose-like thorns sprouting from her back in a heart shape. Blue Rose blew some of her blue hair out of her face and examined her ice-nail fakes with her blue contacts and picked some lint off her shoulder high white gloves. She didn't do a very good job and pinning her hair up today and her hat was off kilter. Tigress got her attention and pointed to her own head to get Rose to fix it. The singer rolled her eyes but did as she was told.

Tigress grabbed her order booklet and went off to her station. Shouts of "Tigress!" echoed across the floor as She greeted her customers, socialized with the other waiters, tipped Blue Rose when she sang and generally walked about flaunting her curves in the tight spandex. Tigress had to take over one of Emblem's tables when he kept hitting on a twenty-something man in front of his girlfriend.

Other than not get in trouble, the second priority at work was to serve as many people as fast as possible so they tipped you well. The person who got the most tips at the end of the month got to have the losers pay for something expensive. Fire Emblem won last time and Tigress (along with everyone else) had to chip in to buy a whole new collection of limited edition eye shadows and platinum finish nail polish. The bill cost almost six hundred bucks! Tigress was determined to win this month because she had managed to save up three-fourths of the purchase price of a really awesome motorcycle, and if she won, by the end of the month she wouldn't have to take the bus anywhere anymore!

As the night wore on in the noisy restaurant, Keith Goodman and Ivan Karelin showed up in their Sky High and Origami Cyclone costumes, respectively. Sky High's entrance was loud and cheerful while Origami's was also silent and unseen. By the time Tigress had hung up her cape, she was sore in places she didn't even know she had. The fight today definitely didn't help at all._I feel old and I'm only nineteen! That's messed up! _She then tried to convince Ben to let her keep the old costume but got nowhere with him. She'd have to deal with the new costume when it came in.

"Tomorrow before you leave, we'll need to take your measurements again for the new suit."

"I can tell you for a fact that my boobs have gotten bigger." She joked grumpily.

"I can tell you that your spandex doesn't hide anything, you know." Ben chuckled at her.

"Yeah well, you ordered it in the first place," she jibed back.

"Okay, Tigress, time to go home." Ben gave her that comforting smile she loved, "you look beat up."

"I did get beat up." She rubbed her sore jaw delicately and came away with a layer of make-up.

"You really have got to be more careful. I know for a fact you don't want your wallet to take a hit from a hospital visit or damage fines. You want to get that bike you're obsessed over."

"Yeah, but technically it was the guys who attacked me today who broke the crates. After I threw them into the air, of course." She replied factually.

"Tigress, what am I going to do with you?"

"Love me, Ben. Love me." She winked as she waltzed at the door.

"I'm always in your corner, Tetsuko!" Ben shouted from the door.

"I know!" She called back.

"Oh, and one more thing!"

"What is it now?" she replied irritated. She turned around under a streetlamp to listen to her boss.

"The new kid's coming to train tomorrow and I want you to mentor him."

"New kid?" Tetsuko felt that panic she suppressed rise up again. "Since when did we need someone else?"

"Since Antonio hung up his helmet." Ben followed Tetsuko out onto the street. She looked like someone had kicked a puppy right in front of her. "You know I've been looking for someone to take his place for weeks now. It's not like I'm replacing 'Tonio or what he meant to all of you, we just need more help."

Tetsuko sighed, trying to see his side as a feeling she couldn't describe welled up in her chest and strangled her. Too much was happening too fast for her to keep up with and Tetsuko felt helpless in the tide of change. First she was informed that she had to repeat her senior school year, Antonio left work, and then she got paired up with the brat and now this? Ben said something to her but she was busy being sorry for herself to catch it.

"Huh?"

"If you ever look like that when you're the legal drinking age, I'll take you out for a beer." Ben chucked sympathetically.

"You know for a fact," Tetsuko began, "that I've already been in my old man's liquor cabinet." She paused, "And my kaa-san's. And my brother's for that matter." Ben outright howled with laughter and Tetsuko couldn't help but join in until tears ran down her face and the ache in her chest lessened just a bit.

After that the goodbyes were short and sweet and the Japanese girl made her way home on the bus, dreaming about that white and green monster of a bike that she wanted. When she stumbled into her house with barely a "tadiama" to her mother. She sunk into a dream filled sleep where bunnies chased tigers on motorcycles and Yuri hall monitors wore pink headphones and climbed trees.

The next day at the bar, Tetsuko worked in black slacks and a deep green Hero's Bar T-shirt tied up to expose her toned stomach (training sucked in her spandex when the newbie kept staring at her boobs, just ask Ivan or Karina). Now Karina was by no means a lesbian, but she had this fixation on giant boobs that made some situations awkward and Ivan was just too innocent not to _not_ look. Tigress completed the ensemble with her black domino mask that she wore to keep her identity secret. After waiting for twenty minutes for the newbie to show up Tigress was getting really pissed off. She slumped against the bar's counter and nodded to each greeting thrown her way until she saw Ben walk in. he was chatting with a familiar set of golden curls (with product in them) and dorky looking hexagonal glasses.

"It's you?" Tigress gaped at her trainee. Before her stood Barnaby Brooks Jr., brat extraordinaire.

T&B

_This is ridiculous. _Barnaby thought as Kaburagi glared at her boss. _I can't seem to escape her, can I? I didn't even know she worked here. _But despite his irritation at being coupled with the hold-back again, Barnaby could at least appreciate her outfit. It accented just about the only good things about the woman. As Barnaby let his eyes discretely roam over Tetsuko, he was pulled back into the conversation by his new boss' voice.

"Oh, so you two know each other?" He looked from one teenager to the other.

"Yes, Ms. Kaburagi and I go to the same school."

"And we have the unfortunate situation of being on the P. R. committee together." Tetsuko pointed out. Their recent argument in the school building still ringing in both their heads and it totally started when Kaburagi fell asleep on Barnaby while brainstorming businesses to ask for donations. Barnaby lost his cool and both teens had almost been to blows when Mr. Lloyds walked in. And then Barnaby had to be polite to her against his will.

"Well then, if no introductions are needed, I'll leave you two to it! Good luck Barnaby and welcome to Hero's Bar." He leaned towards Barnaby and stage-whispered into his ear. "And try to keep Tigress in line."

"What did you say?" Tetsuko asked sharply.

"Nothing!" and then Mr. Jackson left Barnaby alone with the hoodlum.

"Tigress?" "Barnaby?" They asked each other at the same time.

"You seriously used your real name? Where's the fun in that?"

"How did you know that?" Barnaby was impressed with her non-existent powers of deduction.

"Ben always calls us by our hero names on the floor, no exceptions."

"So you're Tigress?" Barnaby stifled a laugh behind a cough after his inquiry.

"Wild Tigress, actually." She popped one hip out and placed her hand on it. _An aggressive, yet defensive gesture, _he noted.

"Why exactly? Is it because you take lots of cat naps? Or are you just lazy all the time?" Her face scrunched up in anger and Barnaby decided that anger didn't look good on her face. In fact, it was scary, but he didn't want her to know that.

"The kanji in my name spells out 'tiger.' That's why." She snarled back, imitating her namesake.

"So where'd the 'wild' come from?"

"You don't want to know." Her tone whiplashed from furious to flirtatious, implying something Barnaby didn't want to think about at work. They privacy of his bedroom seemed like the perfect spot to sort that one out. "Anyway, welcome to Hero's Bar. Come back to the dressing rooms, and we'll grab you a T-shirt. You can't wear that on the floor." Barnaby glanced down at his cargo pants and red and white leather jacket and found nothing wrong with them. His tall red boots clicked on the floor as she followed the girl to the back.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" he demanded.

"Nothing," was her unhelpful reply. Barnaby hated not being put together properly and Tigress' unwillingness to tell him what was wrong with his clothes ticked him off.

She led him into the back and into a dressing room that smelled like a girl. Metal lockers ran along one side of the room and mirrors on the other. A long bench spanned the length of the room that also doubled as a table since Blue Rose's make-up was strewn all over it. Tigress leapt onto some crates stacked in the corner and grabbed a box of the top of the tower, the reach shortening her shirt so much that Barnaby saw her bra. _She really needs to wear less revealing clothes. _Dropping the box on the floor, she crouched down with her knees open to frame the cardboard and glanced up at Barnaby.

"We're got green, red, blue, yellow, and purple. What color do you want?"

"Red."

As she began searching the box, Tigress randomly pointed out the other three rooms that made up the back. "We're in the girl's dressing room right now and after this you're not allowed in here, 'cuz that'd make you a pervert and you will get fired. The boy's dressing room is over there," vague hand wave, "bathroom's around the corner and Ben's office is that way." Two more hand waves followed the first, but Barnaby got the idea. "Ah ha!" The girl fished out a packaged red shirt in a size XL and triumphantly held it up to him. "I think this is your size."

"Why do you guys have these anyway?"

"We did an event once that allowed guests to buy a T-shirt in the color of their favorite hero from the bar. I won that one so there's hardly any black left at all." She grinned goofily and began packing up the mess of shirts she'd made. Barnaby's eyes drifted over the logo on the front as she ripped open the plastic cover. It was a tasteful shirt, but he hadn't worn something so simple in a long time.

"I have to wear this?"

"Yes." The hostile tone of her voice said that it was not open for discussion. Barnaby shrugged and took off his jacket and pulled his black undershirt over his head. He saw Tigress blush and hurriedly go back to putting the shirts away.

_Good to know that I'm not the only one affected by a good looking body. _And Barnaby knew he looked good. His body was conditioned to perfection, complete with a six pack and gorgeous limbs from countless exercises. He smirked as he pulled on the red T-shirt and looked around as Tigress clambered up the crates again with the box in hand. He spotted and open locker with the girl's name on it. While she was wrestling with the haphazardly stacked storage crates, he snuck a look inside. A gaudy, bright blue costume was housed in the metal locker and pictures were taped up everywhere. Barnaby recognized the SBO of Sternbuild High and all the people who flocked around Tigress at school but he didn't recognize one girl. She looked to be in middle school and was giving Tigress bunny ears in one of the photos. He glanced again at the costume hanging in there and tried to picture the goof in it. He couldn't do it without laughing. He turned back to girl just in time to see said goof slip and start to fall.

Tigress yelped and fell backwards off her crates. Barnaby dashed over and caught her under one armpit and wrapped his other arm around her bare stomach, successfully saving her from banging her head against the bench. He blushed as she leaned back heavily against his chest and settled her butt on his thighs. _God, I hate blushing, _he complained to himself as the girl in front of him stammered her thanks.

"Be more careful," he replied as he helped the long-legged girl onto her feet, accidently brushing his hand across her breast. "Sorry," he apologized. When she was up he brushed off his new shirt and said, "I can't always be there to catch you." She nodded, still turned away from him. She switched from damsel in distress mode to mentor so face Barnaby's curls had whiplash.

"Let's go get you a locker so you can stow your stuff." She led Barnaby to the other room and had him pick out a storage space. Then she began to explain the rules of the bar as they both walked back to the floor. "As a server, you are assigned a section of the floor that you're in charge of for you shift. You always wear your costume, you don't pinch anyone's butt, and you always treat guests politely not matter how annoying they are." Tigress listed off the basic rules of the restaurant.

"I'll have lots of practice on that last one if you're around." Barnaby quipped, glancing around.

"Ha, ha, very funny." She replied sarcastically. "Come on, I'll show you what to do." She grabbed an order booklet and Barnaby followed close behind as she walked up a set of stairs to a raised section of tables. Barnaby snuck a glance at her butt. Yep, it even looked good in pants. Then Tigress was talking to a couple that just sat down.

"Hi, I'm Wild Tigress and this is Barnaby Brooks Jr. and he'll be training under me today. We'll take good care of you." Barnaby was then ushered around and taught where everything was and helped Tigress serve guests.

Girls who came in seemed to pay more attention to Barnaby than the waitress talking to them and when the pair left to check on other tables, the girls would giggle behind their hands and then squeal when he gave them a "see ya", as Tigress had dubbed it. The cat would then get pissed off every time he did it and would growl for him to hurry up. But despite his attention to popularity, Barnaby caught on so quickly to his job that that the other crew members began praising him.

Fire Emblem (Nathan) gave him the nickname "Handsome" and Tigress had to fend off his pinching fingers when he made a grab for Barnaby's butt. Dragon Kid (Pao-Lin, _she's the one I didn't recognize_) may not have been star struck like other girls, but she definitely respected him enough to give him compliments. Origami Cyclone (Ivan) didn't say anything, but then again, he rarely said much, but he nodded to the blond in respect. Sky High (President Goodman) praised Barnaby every chance his got…twice. The only ones who were cold to him were Blue Rose (Karina), and his "partner", but that was to be expected.

The hours ticked by and Barnaby was actually beginning to enjoy himself. He slyly noticed the Tigress was not. she put on a good face (almost perfect in fact except that Barnaby could sometimes see her frustration in her eyes) but the second they were out of sight or in the kitchen collecting meals, her eyebrows would come together in annoyance.

"What's wrong?" Barnaby went for a concerned, yet triumphant tone of voice.

"I'm being ignored. Half the time no one's listening to me because they're staring at you." She grumped at him.

"That's because you're old and I'm handsome."

"I'd use the word 'pretty.'"

"What?"

"You flip your curls like a girl."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Arguing already?" The falsetto voice sent a shiver of fear up Barnaby's spine. Fire Emblem waltzed in from his break and swished his cape behind him dramatically.

"Barnaby flips his hair," Tigress stated.

"I noticed, and I think it's attractive!" Emblem cooed, reaching for Barnaby's hair. He ducked the red gloved hand and went back to picking up orders, keeping a wary eye on Fire Emblem's fingers.

"I'd say 'cute,' not 'attractive.'" Tigress argued back.

"Either one works as long as he keeps it up," Nathan conceded. "We haven't had his many girls in here since Sky High first started and its only Handsome's first day!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Tigress loaded up her tray with orders and glared at the red-clad man. "We're off in about a half an hour so don't make trouble or I can't bail you out." She sounded like a mother scolding her child. _I guess Tigress kind of is the mother figure here since she's worked here the longest. _

"I will try, but some butts I just can't resist!" Emblem's high voice went wistful, "If only my sweet Antonio were here! Then no one else would matter!"

"Who's Antonio?" Barnaby asked, finally speaking up.

"The guy you replaced." Tigress growled threateningly, glaring from under her mask. She then stomped away without rattling any dishes. Considering how clumsy she was everywhere else, Tigress had a stealthy grace out on the floor that surprised Barnaby.

"What was that about?" The blond asked.

"She's just had a tough time lately, especially with Antonio gone." Fire Emblem started, "He's known her for, like, forever and they both worked here for years. He quit recently because he got a better job offer and Tiger's not over it yet."

"Oh, well that's too bad." Barnaby's voice betrayed nothing, but he was actually kind of concerned.

"She'll get over it eventually, Handsome. Just don't push her buttons to far you'll find yourself unconscious on the floor. That girl has a temper!"

"Noted."

Their shift ended without disaster and Barnaby avoided Tetsuko as she took off her mask and gather her things. The atmosphere was so thick that someone could cut it with a knife. She went into Mr. Jackson's office where Barnaby heard him rattle off some numbers that he took to be Kaburagi's measurements, which adhered to her very tall, yet voluptuous figure. _So she's getting a new costume as well, _Barnaby thought. He'd gotten measured earlier today on his break.

Barnaby clocked out and made his way out into the parking lot. He'd parked in one of the stalls meant for motorcyclists and he took stock of his bike to make sure nobody had scratched it. His Lonely Chaser was part of a new and upcoming line of motorcycles and had only one other counterpart in the series so far. Barnaby's bike was very sleek and streamlined with mainly white and red coloring with bits of black thrown in and forward reaching handles so the rider had to lean closed to the bike to steer. It could turn on a dime and was the number one bike of its class for accelerating and braking. Barnaby had only had it a few months and was still very protective of his ride.

The restaurant door opened and slammed shut as Barnaby shifted his backpack on his shoulder. He watched as a fuming Tetsuko stalked off into the night. He shrugged his shoulders, straddled the motorcycle and put the key into the ignition. The engine revved with a feline purr, disguising the sheer power of the machine as he backed up and headed toward the street a few minutes later. The headlights added to the sheer brilliance of Sternbuild. As he pulled up to a light in the far right lane, he saw Kaburagi sitting all alone at the bus stop, resting her head in her hands. On the spur of the moment, he pulled over and stopped right in front of her, sitting up in his seat. She didn't appear to notice him. Then Barnaby did something uncharacteristically nice.

"Want a ride?" Her head snapped up at his voice, face was torn between pissed off and dead tired as she glared up at him.

"Why would I want a ride from yo-" her biting remark was cut off and she stared at Barnaby in shock. Or more specifically, his bike.

"Is that part of the Lonely Chaser line?" She instantly ran over, trailing her school bag behind her to reverently touch the metal of the boy's bike. She didn't even wait for an answer before running her mouth again. "I'm saving up to buy one of these, you know. The green one." Barnaby knew the bike. Come on, there were only two out at the moment! It was a great model, just too bulky for his taste. "When I finally save up enough, I won't have to take the bus anywhere or get shuttled around by my brother in his antique van anymore. He's moving out in a few days anyway so I'll need a ride soon."

"Do I look like I care?" Barnaby said, but he was ignored as the girl began rattling off random facts about her bike that tried the other teen's patience. "Do you want the ride or not?"

"Hell, yeah!" Grumpy Tetsuko had vanished as she hopped on without complaint. Barnaby thought it was kind of nice to have her behind him on the bike with her strong arms wrapped around his waist. He passed his backpack to the girl so she could hold it looped over one arm and still have her own strapped across her back.

"Where to?"

"Oriental Town." Barnaby knew that the neighborhood was located in the Bronze and near the Silver boarder and made an acceptable estimate route to make good time to Tetsuko's house. He surprised her when he leaned over to grip the handlebars and began moving back into traffic that she squealed and clutched him even tighter. Barnaby chuckled inwardly, conscious not to let it slip out in front of the girl, but he couldn't help the small smile that graced his face as she continued to whoop and yell in delight. As Barnaby sped across the bright city, Kaburagi would point out random things like, "that statue had to be replaced when a semi-truck ran into it," or "That office building was a slaughter house when my grandparents were kids," just to name a few. Throughout the ride, Barnaby was also conscious of her legs tightly spooned against his and her breath ghosting against his ear as she leaned in close to talk to him.

Occasionally he'd ask for directions to Kaburagi's place and she'd supply the necessary information. But once they were near the Silver Speedway Tetsuko asked, "Can we go fast, please?" in a desperate voice that sent a shiver down Barnaby's spine (the good kind this time). He couldn't deny her, and he wanted to show off his bike. The speedways were situated at each of the Stage borders and were the fastest roads in the city, up to 100 mph in some places. They got commuters in and out of the Stages with relative ease and ran in three separate continuous loops around Sternbuild.

"Sure you can handle it, old lady?" Barnaby turned onto the speedway's entrance, suddenly feeling reckless.

"Oh! Shut up, Bunny, and hop to it!" Barnaby's despised nickname ticked him off enough that he floored the accelerator.

He leaned forward even further over his Chaser and Tetsuko followed him on instinct, her body flush against his as her breath got taken away as the sheer speed of the freeway. Barnaby decided he needed to do that more often. A breathless Kaburagi didn't yammer in his ear.

The lights of the city streamlined into continuous blurs as Barnaby merged into high speed traffic. He made a show of dangerously weaving in and out of lanes, causing the girl behind him to squeal as they circled around the city's center from a considerable distance. _I probably should be wearing a helmet, _Barnaby told himself as an afterthought when tears started streaming from his eyes.

Getting off the speedway safely, Barnaby took to the streets with Kaburagi guiding him. Oriental Town was a sprawling neighborhood housing all types of ethnicities, but mainly people from Asia, hence the nickname it was known by. This far out from the Gold Stage where Barnaby lived, you could almost feel like you weren't even in Sternbuild anymore. It wasn't as shabby as the blond expected it to be. The houses were well maintained, streets and yards were clean and there was even a few shopping complexes catering to Asian tastes. Tetsuko began actively giving Barnaby directions like, "turn here," or "go straight," or "there's a dip here," until they came to her residence. The Kaburagi house was bigger than the houses sitting next to it with a pale blue wash on the walls and a bright red roof. The architecture was styled after some traditional Japanese houses that Barnaby had seen with a wraparound veranda enclosed by sliding doors and a space for a garden on the side of the property. A white van was parked in the drive way with a snake and kanji adoring the sides. _That must be her brother's van. _

Tetsuko dismounted Barnaby's motorcycle and smoothed out her pants and handed Barnaby's school bag back to him. Looking disheveled and hair wildly sticking out everywhere, she thanked the blond with a bow and wished him a safe journey home, wherever that was.

"I live in Gold." Barnaby stated with disinterest.

"And you drove me all the way out here? What possessed you to do that?" _I don't know, actually. _He shrugged at her.

"Why do you go to Sternbuild High when you live here? It seems a little far for the school boundaries to come out here."

"It's different nowadays, but when I was a kid they bused a bunch of us in-city when we didn't have enough students to warrant building schools out here. And because I started in a certain elementary school, they just had us all go to our respective secondary and high schools instead of relocating us again to school out here." She shrugged like it was no big deal. "Well, thanks anyway. Be careful going home, okay?" Her mother-mode turned on again, but Barnaby was surprised that she directed it at him. All night she'd been ignoring the boy and getting under his skin for no reason. Barnaby's thoughts turned to his nearly empty apartment and bitter thought, _home? That's a joke. _His home died a long time ago. Before his thoughts could turn any darker, Tetsuko trotted up her front walk and almost made it to her door when a neighbor's door opened and as Barnaby looked toward the sound, something black shot out of it and raced down the street.

"Hakubi, some back!" a woman shouted and Barnaby recognized the jingle of an animal's collar. Kaburagi instantly dropped her bag on the lawn and dashed after the pet calling, "Hakubi! Come here kitty!"

Barnaby spotted the cat headed straight towards him as it dodged Tetsuko's arms. Barnaby swung hi s bike around so his headlights illuminated the pavement and the black cat on it. Kaburagi dashed behind Hakubi as fast as she could while the cat was terrified of the blond's motorcycle. He revved the engine and the cat turned tail and dashed right into the Japanese girl's waiting arms.

Barnaby killed the engine and swung his leg off the bike to follow Kaburagi to the neighbor's as she soothed the frightened feline with soft words and a lot of petting. The owner, a middle aged woman in a bathrobe and curlers that looked similar to Barnaby's sleep-in ones, ran up to the pair and let out a string of Japanese chatter that Barnaby couldn't understand. Tetsuko answered and handed the cat back to its owner with a smile. When the woman was back in her house, Tetsuko turned to Barnaby.

"Mrs. Hoshiyomi thanks you for your help as well. Hakubi is always escaping when the door opens." She paused, thinking something over, "That was smart, using you bike to scare Hakubi to come running right to me. Thanks." Barnaby felt his cheeks head up and was glad for the semi-darkness of the street.

"It's the least I could do." He pushed his glasses back into place like the whole ordeal wasn't worth the significance the girl was giving it. Then Barnaby noticed the scratches adorning Kaburagi's arms that he could just make out in the dim lights of porch lamps. "You're bleeding." The girl looked at herself as if she hadn't noticed anything wrong until now.

"Oh, I didn't notice." _Well, that proves it. She unobservant all the time. Figures. _She tried to laugh it off with one of her goofy smiles.

"You need to get those looked at before they become infected," Barnaby lectured sternly.

"Geez, okay!" Kaburagi conceded as she headed back towards her house. "Anyway, see you tomorrow!" She called back to him. Barnaby walked back to his bike and straddled the machine as Tetsuko called out again, "Thanks, Bunny!" She waved from her porch and Barnaby rolled his eyes big enough so she could see it and scowl back at him.

"Don't be late tomorrow or else I'll have to card you!"

"Bossy Bunny!"

"It's Barnaby, old lady!"

"I'm not old, you asshole!"

"Whatever you say." She said something at him that Barnaby assumed was a Japanese swearword and the sliding door slammed shut so hard that the track squealed. The blond chuckled and zoomed down the street. Barnaby left Oriental Town and took the speedways back into the center of the city. He decided that the drive home wasn't as much fun because he suddenly got cold. Once he was back in his apartment, Barnaby sat in the single chair he owned and started out his floor-to-ceiling windows, wondering if he could see Kaburagi's house from here if he really tried to look.

**A/N:** The End! (but not really, don't worry!) Remember to review please! And review!


	3. Lights, Camera, Action!

A/N: Hey its me again! So this chapter has a little bit of everything: humor, action, romance and fashion tips! Enjoy!

PS: it has occurred to me that I have been spelling Sternbild wrong an I apologize. I don't own Tiger & Bunny!

(If you haven't figured it out by now, I will keep striving to post a new chapter every week on Mondays as long as my schedule allows)

Chapter Three: Lights, Camera, Action!

Every other Friday was wear-whatever-the-crap-you-want day at school and Tetsuko always took the opportunity to look good. She shimmied into a black mini skirt with slits up the sides, a deep green button up shirt, a cream and gray vest, black thigh high socks, and precariously heeled black and white Oxford shoes. She added her white button, black tie and signature bracelets to finish up today's outfit. She added some striped hair clips (because hats were not allowed on school grounds) and oversized pearl earrings to complete the look. For once she made it to school on time and got to walk in the front gates with everyone else. She had only one argument with Brooks about the length of her skirt (or lack thereof) have he gave her a what-the-crap-are-you-wearing look while she noticed him noticing her noticing him looking at her butt as she walked away. The Japanese girl ended up turning around again and folding her arms in a way that pushed up her breasts and exposed more of her cleavage. And Bunny totally blushed and stuttered something as he dashed off in the other direction. Satisfied with her little victory, Tetsuko even managed not to fall asleep in her first classes. The day couldn't be spoiled until the glasses wearing brat reminded her at lunch about Ms. Agnes' interview.

She grabbed lunch from the cafeteria and wandered outside. Karina and Nathan waved to her from their usual lunch spot under a tree and Tetsuko spotted Ivan hanging around silently in the bushes. Seriously the kid needed to get in the group more! She smiled at them and waved back, making her way over to sit with them when a strong grip hooked around her bicep and dragged her in the other direction. She glanced back at her captor's perfectly curled hair as she was hauled over to another tree that was currently devoid of students. He nodded at fellow students who laughed at Tetsuko's situation and a few of the girl's looked ready to kill the brunette.

"What the hell, Bunny?" She shouted as she dumped her into the shade and towered over her.

"I need to talk to you about the interview today."

"Crap, that's today? I totally forgot!"

"I figured you forget, hence the dragging."

"If this thing's all about you, then why do I have to be there?" She complained as she sat down, still intent on eating her lunch. The girl glanced up at her unwanted guest as she unwrapped her sandwich. He wore his same red and white jacket with cargo pants and the red man-hooker boots. He'd switched out his black T-shirt for a long-sleeved version and layered red under it. He also sported a gold necklace with a squarish pendant dangling from his throat.

"Because we're a team, even if we both dislike it." He replied sternly, no trace of the Fun Barnaby Tetsuko got to see last night.

"Ug! This whole thing if stupid!" She flopped back on the grass and tucked one of her arms under her head and held her sandwich across her eyes dramatically before taking a bite. She opened her eyes a millimeter to peek up at the brat. He'd folded his arms by now and was glaring at her again. _Did I insult him? I didn't say he was stupid, geez!_

"You're being immature about this. It's just a way for the school to get a better grip on me and what I do around the school and community. You just happen tag along everywhere because we're shackled together."

"Maybe you should install a sidecar on you Chaser if I'm just going to be your side kick."

"Wouldn't want to waste the money." He flipped his hair at her.

"Bastard."

"Anyway after the initial part of the interview, Ms. Agnes is driving us into Gold for the Helios Energy meeting with Mr. Seymour and then-"

"Is that why you and Lloyds scheduled that today?" Tetsuko asked, their nefarious plot coming to light.

"I see you have selective memory," Barnaby commented, "Yes, because we knew that Mr. Seymour would be fine with the filming and gracious enough to still host us with the Newspaper Club accompanying." He finally sat down on the ground next to Tetsuko to continue what would become a lengthy explanation about "being on your best behavior and showing their partnership in a good light or else Joubert would cut off one boob and Lloyds the other." Okay, so he didn't say it like that but Tetsuko simplified it in her brain.

"You sneaky bastards have me cornered," she grumped.

"That's the point. And don't call me that. My parents were married." _Were? I'll have to pry that story out of him. _Tetsuko grabbed her fountain drink and popped off the lid to get to the ice.

"Whatever you say, Bunny." She smirked as she crunched on her first ice cube.

"Don't call me that either!"

"Too bad, you only get one."

"I'd rather have bastard."

"Okay, Bunny!" she smiled again as Bunny gave her a death glare. _So cute! Even when he's pissed off! _The brunette took another bite of her sandwich. Tetsuko decided that her BLT was missing something and grabbed her secret stash of mayonnaise from her backpack. She popped open the bottle to add a few squirts to the bread.

"That is so gross. Do you know how much weight you're going to gain?" Bunny started nit picking on her again.

"It's good, you should try it! Mayo makes everything better." The girl held out her lunch to Bunny but he just gave it a disgusted look.

"No thanks."

"Your loss." Tetsuko glanced around and didn't see Bunny's food anywhere. "Where's your lunch?"

"I'm not really hungry at the moment. I think it happened when I saw your face."

"Asshole! I don't know why all the girls love you because your personality leaves something to be desired. In any case, you need to eat more. You're so skinny! It's not good for you health to skip meals." Tetsuko took another bit of her sandwich and savored the calories.

"It's none of your business, old lady, so stop meddling." Bunny stated as Tetsuko finished her lunch and went back to her drink. She plucked another ice cube out of her cup and popped it into her mouth. Her teeth snapped shut with a _crack_ as she munched her ice. Bunny winced in annoyance. Tetsuko did it again, grinning at him. He glared back, one of his signature scowls on his face. The brunette delicately held another cube to her lips and placed it in between her teeth. It was like watching a volcano get ready to erupt as pissed-off-ness possessed his face. And when she cracked down he shouted, "Quit it!" with such anger that Tetsuko decided her work here was done.

"You told Ben you needed today off, right?" Tetsuko asked while she crunched the ice in her mouth.

"Yes, Mr. Jackson knows. Did you?" Bunny gave her an exasperated look.

"Duh! I'm not stupid, ya know!"

"Could've fooled me."

"That's it! I'm leaving!" Tetsuko wrapped up her sandwich and grabbed all her stuff. She'd been insulted one too many times and left Bunny sitting alone as she joined her friends under the other tree.

"What was that all about, Tets?" Nathan moved over so the Japanese girl could plop down on the ground. Today his lipstick matched his hair and he wore silver earrings to accent his dark skin. His outfit was flamboyant with a dark undershirt, a low buttoned pink jacket with a tall fur collar, tight fuchsia pants and pink heeled boots.

"Bunny's being an ass." Tetsuko wasn't hungry anymore and chucked her sandwich towards a nearby garbage can. She missed. Just then, Yuri Petrov walked past and glared right at the girl. She shrugged and went over to pick up her trash and dispose of it. She heaved a sigh of relief when the gray-haired senior walked away in his bright purple polo without carding her.

"Tell me all about it. We'll have some girl talk." Nathan cooed and wrapped her into a half-hug half-cuddle.

"One of us doesn't quite fit that description," Karina pointed out, brushing her blonde hair behind her shoulders. She pulled her tan and pink dress down so the skirt barely brushed her thigh high socks. Her brown vest was open around her chest (to draw attention to her boobs, no doubt) and she tucked her tan boots under her butt as she gestured to Nathan.

"I am sorry that I am a boy and therefore cannot have 'girl talk'." Ivan's soft voice joined the group as he finally got out of the bushes. He wore his signature purple _Japan_ jacket and paired it with baggy green pants and clunky boots.

"I wasn't talked about you, Ivan."

"Then who?" Nathan asked, his cheek pressed against Tetsuko's possessively. The brunette was attempting to push him away and failing.

"You, drag queen." Karina took a swig from her water bottle as the black man started in shock.

"What? I am-"

"Save it you two!" The Japanese girl shouted. _They have this argument at least once a day, _Tetsuko thought. She escaped Nathan's clutches while he was distracted. The man made another grab at her as she scooted a few paces away. "Hands off! I have to look 'presentable' for my interviews later." Tetsuko threw up some air quotes to mock her partner.

"So is that what Handsome was talking to you about?"

"Yeah, and then he insulted me a couple of times, nitpicked my personality and I got fed up. Oh well, it's nothing I can change. I'm stuck with him for now." She covered up her hurt pride with a smile and asked Ivan if he liked the manga she lent him.

The conversation turned away from Tetsuko and onto random topics. Keith was making his rounds around to all the students eating lunch and chatted with the mismatched friends when he reached their tree. He had a golden boy look just like Bunny (only less vain). He had on a simple blue jacket and a white shirt along with popular sneakers and a simple pair of jeans. By the time the SBO and his permanent smile moved on, lunch was almost over. The friends went their separate ways and Tetsuko slunk to her cooking class. She'd accidently set off the fire alarm two years ago when she disintegrated her casserole in the oven and let out a cloud of smoke that floated right up to the detector. Antonio was supposed to be watching the timer but he'd been looking up football (no, it's not _soccer_) scores in Europe and Tetsuko had fallen asleep. She hadn't been allowed back into the kitchens until now. Tetsuko dropped into her seat and decided that she sucked as a chef. Fried rice was really the only thing she was good at preparing and everything else she made didn't taste quite right. _I'm cursed, _she thought. Class proceeded without any damages and the meat loaf actually turned out okay, mostly because Setsuki and Collin didn't left the brunette fall asleep on them.

By the time the interview rolled around, Tetsuko was really missing her daily nap she usually took in math. She walked to the Newspaper Club's room and suppressing a yawn, opened the door. Bunny was already seated at a table next to a printer. The newspaper room was full of copiers and computers and recording equipment all piled around work desks and stacks of paper and rolls of film. The sound booth and editing room was just off to the side protected by a soundproof door. Ms. Joubert's office was next to that with the door tightly shut. Tetsuko nodded to Bunny as she sat down two tables away from him.

"You're late." Tetsuko checked her phone by the time.

"By three minutes," she scoffed.

"Three _and a half _minutes of my life that I'll never get back."

"Boo-hoo! It's always about you, isn't it?" She snapped back, raring for a good fight.

"Well, right now it is." Ms. Agnes entered the room from her office. Today her color was purple: Light purple blouse, dark skirt and violet pumps that were even higher than Tetsuko's. Her partner in crime, Cain, followed close behind with his somewhat afro, ridiculous sideburns and beard/mustache combo. _If I had a beard it wouldn't be that big, _Tetsuko thought. The black man had always had a good relationship with the Japanese girl that one time they had lunch together just to gossip and gripe about Joubert. He gave Tetsuko a smile and fixed his bright yellow jacket. The back was embroidered with the Newspaper Club's emblem of a pen and pencil crossed in the center and a camera lens balanced underneath. Another student dashed inside the room and was instantly ordered to collect equipment, or to get this, or set up this camera up over there. Mary Rose was sorta quiet, but very nice and Orlando Cooper (the camera man with the pony tail) came and joined the video mixer with the equipment. Agnes chatted with Bunny and laughed at something he said. Tetsuko had almost fallen asleep when a camera was shoved in her face.

"Gah!" She fell off her chair in surprise and landed on the floor. Rubbing her butt, Tetsuko looked up into the camera lens.

"We'll edit that out," Agnes motioned for Orlando to keep rolling.

"What do you think of Barnaby? Agnes repeated her question as the girl picked herself up off the floor and back into her seat. Tetsuko thought for a minute, everyone's eyes on her.

"Eh, I got nothing'."

"Cut!" Agnes yelled. She turned to the brunette, "Is that all you have to say?"

"Hey! I barely know the guy! It's been what? A couple of days?"

"But seriously, you can't think of one thing to say?"

"My mother taught me that if I can't say anything nice, not to say anything at all." She chuckled and slipped her arm behind her head. Two people with extremely angry green eyes glared at her, the other three didn't care. Agnes looked like she was going to strangle the girl and Barnaby looked pissed enough to kick her in the face. "Okay! Okay!" Tetsuko held up her hands in defense. "Give me a minute, I'll think of something."

"That could take all day," Barnaby retorted.

"I see your mother didn't teach you as well as mine." Bunny's look could kill. _Ouch, I hit a nerve. _

"We'll come back to you." Agnes turned back to Bunny and the blond instantly became professional again. _He's got a nice mask. _

The other night's bike ride flashed though Tetsuko's mind. _Why can't he be like that all the time? _Thoughts of holding Bunny's rock hard torso popped into her head. He totally worked out and she could feel the sculpted planes of his chest and abdomen though his shirt _and_ jacket. Tetsuko wanted to see his abs again, the brief glance she got when he changed his shirt at work was not enough to satisfy her curiosity. Then her thoughts turned to the gutter as the thought of Bunny wearing nothing flashed through her brain. Those legs were just long enough to rival Tetsuko's and she wondered what they'd look like in his-_what kind of underwear does he sport?_ She blushed and bit her lip hard enough to almost draw blood. Tetsuko ducked her head in embarrassment as if the other people in the room would be able to read what she was thinking just by looking at her. _Why did I think that? Do I like this pushy brat? _She glanced at Bunny from under her spiky bangs; he was flashing Ms. Agnes a coy smile and winked at the camera. _No, he's such a poseur! And preppy and a brat with and has an asshole up his asshole! _When the camera turned back to her, Tetsuko's blush had faded and she said something along the lines of his admirable professionalism, and dedicated work ethic ("Just check out all these pink slips he's given me!"). The whole crew, including Bunny, looked shocked that she came up with not one, but _two _nice things to say about her partner.

"What now? First, you were mad because I didn't have anything nice to say and now you're surprised? I can come up with some nasty things instead, if you want. He's-"

"That's good! We don't need anymore!" She pushed Orlando to turn back to Bunny. She then asked Bunny what his favorite food was. Cabbage rolls (_what are those?_) and beef stroga, strogon-nof (_whatever_). She also asked what kind of music he liked to listen too. The dork told her he liked opera. Yuck.

Off the hook for the moment, Tetsuko took the opportunity to lounge in her chair, out of the way. Both her backpack and Bunny's were on the floor next to her. The girl's eyes spotted a red flip phone hanging out of one pocket and snatched it when Bunny wasn't looking her way. His background was one of those generic computer generated ones that were interesting and boring at the same time. Opening up the camera, Tetsuko crossed her eyes and pulled a duck face while flashing the rock sign. She giggled as she set the picture as his new background and slipped the phone back into its pocket.

An hour later, after a cat nap on the Japanese's part, Bunny reminded Agnes about the Helios Energy interview and the whole crew packed up and got ready to move out. Tetsuko chatted with Cain in the van on the way to the city and the older man and Orlando laughed at her lame-ass jokes. Bunny was checking his curls in the mirror and Agnes was reminding Mary about the other segments she had to finish for the show. She was half-twisted in the front seat white driving pointing her finger at the girl who was making a list of things she had to do on the video mixer. Apparently Bunny wasn't the only one being featured; Joubert was hitting most of the major club and school leaders including Petrov and Keith. The van pulled up to the Helios Energy building with twenty minutes to spare and Tetsuko glanced up at the golden phoenix topping the skyscraper as she stepped out of the van. Bunny's shouts pulled her head back to the ground as a pink-clad man glomped the blond from behind, arms wrapped around his chest and neck.

"Get off, please!" Bunny tried to shove Nathan away but the man clung tighter to him.

"Ooo! Handsome you do look fabulous!" He cooed, nuzzling Bunny's face unabashedly.

"Nate, hands off Bunny. You'll muss of his damn hair!" Tetsuko intervened with a glomp of her own against the transvestite. With the three of them hugging each other, of course they ended up on the ground.

"You klutz!" Nathan squirmed underneath Tetsuko's body.

"Bunny don't touch that!" the girl blushed as the blond's hand squeezed her butt.

"Hey! Get off my leg, Seymour!" Bunny yanked said appendage out from under the guy.

"Don't touch there either!" Tetsuko yelped as Bunny's other hand grabbed her breast as the three of them tried to disentangle themselves from each other.

"Quit touching her and touch me!" Nathan cried out.

"I'm not trying to touch either of you!" Bunny's hand released a furiously blushing Tetsuko and she was the first to get out of the dog pile. The boy's picked themselves up and brushed off their clothes as the girl yanked down her skirt. All of a sudden, Nathan swung around and slapped his perfectly manicured hands onto Tetsuko's cheeks.

"Thank goodness you're here!"

"I sought yous er ear or Unny!" The brunette tried to speak around the nail polish.

"No, I need you right now!" Nathan said dramatically (and slightly kinky).

"Why exactly?" Tetsuko forcibly removed the hands from her face so she could talk.

"My father has been wearing the most god-awful, stiff suits lately and he won't listen to my fashion advice because I'm his son."

"And this involves me how?"

"You're gonna tell him for me."

"The hell why?"

"Because you're a girl!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. I'm glad we established that."

"Well, you certainly don't act like one." Bunny piped up as the adults caught up to them.

"That's because you do it enough for the both of us." The Japanese girl winked at him. "And you've had personal _hands on _experience that proves I'm a woman." Bunny's face was redder than a sunburn.

Nathan giggled and led the whole group inside and up to his dad's office. The place reeked of money and Tetsuko didn't want to touch anything for fear of breaking it and getting slapped with a huge fine. Red and gold seemed to be the main color scheme for the whole building, and there were bright and exotic flowers everywhere that begged for attention. Tetsuko clasped her hands in front of her stomach and shrunk into herself a little. This didn't go unnoticed by her ball andchain.

"What's wrong?" Bunny whispered as Nathan chatted up Ms. Agnes for no reason.

"I don't want to break anything. I have the worst luck in expensive places." She clasped her hands three separate times before going on, "It's like that old saying about the cow in the vase shop."

"Uh, I think you mean 'like a bull in a china shop.'"

"Whatever!" He chuckled at her discomfort as the whole group plus cameras entered into an elevator. Tetsuko heaved a sigh of relief and slapped Nathan's hand away from Bunny's butt.

"Oh, you're too good, Tets!"

"I've had lots of practice warding off hands myself. Don't call me that, it sounds like 'tits'."

"Really? You're attractive?" Bunny cocked and eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, my butt is irresistible!"

"I doubt that."

"Well, then go on!" She turned her butt to the blond, "Take a feel." Tetsuko challenged. She was stunned when he actually did. She smacked his hand away where it was pinching her butt cheek and covered her behind with both hands.

"Hey, pervert!"

"You offered."

"You weren't actually supposed to pinch my butt!"

"Quit messing around you two!" Joubert snapped as the elevators doors opened to the top flood. They all exited quickly and Nathan took the lead again with his girly walk. The group strode down a red carpeted hallway and through a set of huge oak doors into Mr. Seymour's office. The room had multiple couches and chairs for lounging, and conference table for meetings and a massive desk for the man himself. He was standing over by the wall that was completely windows and was staring out onto the cityscape until he turned to greet his guests.

Mr. Seymour had Nathan's coloring, with chocolate colored skin and deep brown eyes, but he didn't have a fabulous head of pink hair, in fact he had no hair on his scalp at all. He did have a half beard on his chin that went up a fraction of his jaw. _If I had a beard, it'd be cooler than that one, _Tetsuko asserted. Then she caught sight of his suit. It was a three piece disaster. Mr. Seymour looked like he was going to a funeral in his black velvet outfit with a black vest and a sharp white shirt that choked Tetsuko just looking at it.

"That is a god-awful stiff suit." Tetsuko whispered to Nathan discreetly.

"I know!" He whispered back.

"Welcome Mr. Brooks and Ms. Kaburagi, and also to your Newspaper Club. I see my son has taken good care of you."

"Yes, he did, Mr. Seymour." Bunny walked forward and shook the CEO's hand. Tetsuko wasn't far behind and smiled at the man who spawned the devil in pink that was her friend.

"It is good to see you again, Ms. Kaburagi."

"It is good to see you as well, Mr. Seymour."

"How's your mother these days? Still paying your damage fines?" He chuckled good naturedly at her.

"No, she cut me off the last time I smashed through a wall" Tetsuko scratched the skin in front of her ear as the black man roared with laughter. The girl turned to the blond who had been ignored for the moment. "This is my partner Barnaby Brooks Jr. and we're here on official school business as you know, not just to poke at my past."

"Yes, of course. Let's get started then." The CEO offered them two seats in front of his desk and waited for the Newspaper Club to set up patiently. After the formal introductions, Tetsuko let Bunny take over with the whole speech about Sternbild High's sponsorship program and all the other stuff she didn't really care about. Mr. Seymour was gracious and intently listened to the blond even though he'd probably heard this spiel for years by various high school students. Every time Agnes stopped them to get a better angle with Orlando's camera or to have Bunny repeat something, Tetsuko would check her phone discretely to read all of Nathan's fashion advice for his dad. Occasionally the men would include her in the discussion, but mostly it was Bunny's show.

Nathan kept trying to make her laugh on camera with silly faces, naughty looks and sexy pick up lines he mouthed to her from in the corner. She tried her best not to laugh, but once Nathan started sensually licking his fingers while glancing at Bunny she burst into laughter. Agnes berated the girl about her non-professional behavior and made her shut up for the rest of the meeting. Mr. Seymour winked at Tetsuko with a smile, letting her know that he thought it was fine. She grinned widely back at him.

At the end of the interview, all three participants stood and shook each other's hands. Then Joubert had to review the tape quickly with her team to make sure they got everything they needed for the show. Nathan got Tetsuko's attention from across the room and dramatically nodded in his father's direction. The girl shrugged, not knowing how to broach the subject with the CEO. Nathan pointed with his pink head and widened his eye imploringly like the color of his dad's suit was the end of the world. The brunette sighed and looked at the older man.

_Now, how to bring up the suit situation without being too obvious? _After thinking for a moment, Tetsuko ran over to Bunny and threw her arms around his neck from the back of the couch he was sitting on.

"Hey, Bunny."

"Don't call me that."

"Bunny," she continued, "just curious, but what sorts of suits do you wear?" He looked at her like she was crazy.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"I was just thinking about the formal dance coming up in a few weeks and wondered what types of suits you'd wear. Keith and I were just talking about it the other day. He goes for navy most of the time with a bow tie, but I don't think that's your style at all." Tetsuko started rambling for a minute to distract Bunny from the conversation whip lash she was causing and to grab Mr. Seymour's attention.

"Of course that's not my style." Bunny never missed a chance to correct her, "I'm fairly tall so I wear mainly double breasted suits to add width to my frame. And crimsons are my preferred colors. That or I'd wear a black suit jacket with a red vest or dress shirt." Bunny gave her a look that said, _where are you going with this?_

"Cool." Tetsuko made a show of looking over Mr. Seymour while Nathan waited on the edge of his seat in anticipation, already having figured out the girl's plan. "I think Mr. Seymour would look very dashing in a red suit as well, don't you think?" Tetsuko gave Barnaby her own look of _keep playing along_.

"Yes, I think so. Or maybe a gray pinstriped suit to accent his broad shoulders." The CEO turned toward the pair.

"Yeah, I totally read in one of Karina's fashion magazines that the style for this season is for really eye catching colors paired with more somber ones for contrast."

"'Really, like what?"

"Take Mr. Seymour for instance," Tetsuko unlatched her arms form Bunny's neck and walked around the couch to where the dark skinned man was standing. "Darker skin tones go well with a variety of color palettes. I'd pair a deep emerald suit with a gray or black shirt and a matching tie."

"But green is _your _color, Kaburagi. Maybe Mr. Seymour doesn't particularly fancy green." Bunny joined Tetsuko, finally catching on and started throwing out color combinations. "I'd go with that gray pinstriped suit I mentioned earlier and add a red shirt. It doesn't need a tie that way."

"Ooo! What about a deep violet?" Tetsuko asked.

"If I wore a violet suit," Mr. Seymour joined in the conversation as well at this point, "I'd pair it with a black vest and a white shirt."

"That's brilliant!" Tetsuko laid on the charm with a flirtatious smile. The fashion-fest ended after a while with a list of fashionable suit combinations that made Nathan do a victory dance behind his dad's back. They left the Helios building in good graces with both Seymour's appreciation and a fat sponsorship for the high school.

"I totally go that all on film." Agnes said as she passed the partners on the way to the van.

Tetsuko was about to reply when Nathan planted a big kiss on her cheek for her help. It left a huge lip mark on her face that she didn't even notice. Bunny avoided his kiss with a passion, much to Nathan's disappointment. Nathan waved goodbye a few minutes later and left the couple standing on the sidewalk watching the Newspaper Club pack up.

"You're a flirt when you want to be, old lady" Bunny started, shouldering his school bag.

"Yeah well, if it helps my friend's father's fashion reputation, them I'm happy to help out." She shrugged back at him, ignoring the 'old lady' and slinging her own bag onto her shoulder. "That's what friends are for: helping each other and trusting others with your problems." Bunny was silent for a few moments.

"Well, since you weren't such a dunce this afternoon, how would you like to go out for dinner as a 'thank you'?" Tetsuko turned to him in surprise. _He's surprisingly generous sometimes. _Bunny was gauging her response and the girl wasn't about to give up free food.

"Sure! I'd love too!" She glanced at their ride home. "But didn't you leave your bike at the school?"

"No, I knew that we'd be coming to Gold so I took the bus today. Why drive all the way out to Silver when I'd have to come straight back?"

"Smart, I'd have never thought that one out."

"I know."

"Hey!"

"Come on you two! Get in the car!" Agnes called from the open widow of the van. Everyone else was piled inside and waiting.

"Ms. Joubert, thank you for the offer, but Ms. Kaburagi and I don't need a ride anymore." The woman looked back and forth between the two teenagers for a moment.

"Fine then." She checked her lipstick in one of the side view mirrors, "Whatever happens to you know I'm not liable for, 'kay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Both students answered in unison.

"See you guys at school on Monday." She was about to drive off when she turned back suddenly, "And don't let Tetsuko get you into any trouble Mr. Brooks."

"Yes, ma'am," Bunny answered as Tetsuko gaped at the advisor.

"Why is it always me who-" the van screeched off into the night before Tetsuko could finishing replying. She pouted until the car was out of sight, and then perked up.

"Do you like hotdogs?"

T & B

_Best damn hotdog I've ever had, _Barnaby thought as he bit into his meat. Kaburagi knew of this little shop they were at and dragged him over to the shopping district to get him to eat. _She was conscious of my wallet too, surprisingly enough. _Food for both of them only cost about ten dollars, even with the girl ordering two hotdogs. The Japanese girl finished putting a disgustingly insane amount of mayonnaise and ketchup on her hotdogs and took a bite of one. _I bet all that weight goes to her hips, _Barnaby glanced at her waist for a second and decided that if the calories did end up there (or anywhere for that matter) it'd look perfect.

"You should watch your weight," Barnaby stated.

"You should eat more," she shot back.

"You'll get diabetes if you keep adding mayo to everything you eat. Then you'll lose a foot when you blood sugar gets messed up."

"The only way I'm losing a foot is up your ass!" She angrily finished off her first hotdog and started on the second.

"This is good, by the way." Barnaby took another bite.

"I know!" Kaburagi was happy against. _I think she's got a bipolar disorder. _"Lemson's makes the best hotdogs in the city. Actually I found this place by accident when my brother's ghetto van broke down while making deliveries. It seriously went like this: BOOM rattle-rattle-rattle chug-chuuuug-chuuuuuuggggg, sputter and just rolled to a stop. He had to take it to a shop and handed me five bucks for food." Barnaby listened to her story and sound effects with mild interest as he winked as a passing red head. She giggled and shied away into her clique of friends. "And now I'm sitting around the Gold Stage where everything costs a hand and a foot,"

"Arm and a leg," Barnaby interjected.

"With five bucks for lunch thinking, 'what the hell do I do now?'" She continued on like the blond hadn't spoken.

"So I wandered around for a bit until I came to this mall and literally ran into Rocky." She laughed at herself, "I wasn't paying attention and tripped over my own feet and crashed into him coming back to work from his break." Barnaby rolled his eyes at her typical clumsiness. "We picked ourselves up and I ended up buying a hotdog from him at Lemson's. I bummed around the counter while he worked and we talked until 'Masa called me."

"'Masa?"

"My older brother, Muramasa," she explained. "That was four years ago and this place still looks the same." Lemson's was a little café in the mall complex with its own awning and a few little tables for customers. Barnaby scanned the employees and spotted the Rocky that Tetsuko had ordered the hotdogs from. He looked to be in his mid twenties with deep chestnut hair and bright blue eyes. He was shorter than Barnaby (and Tetsuko for that matter) and wore a clean apron even though this clothes underneath were filthy from a day of cooking. The teens were sitting on a wall of a water fountain in the mall. All types of people were walking past and Barnaby smiled at everyone he caught looking at him. He also noticed that many attractive girls were giving Kaburagi fierce glares because she was the one sitting next to Barnaby. The brunette, of course, wasn't paying attention. _She's lucky she gets to sit by someone as gorgeous as me, _he thought. _And I'm just lucky I haven't been mauled by girls, yet. _It was nice for once just to have to pay attention to one girl instead of twenty. Barnaby concluded that if he hadn't been coupled with the hold-back, he wouldn't have associated with her at all, and therefore would be surrounded by girls by now.

"Hey, Bunny! Smile!" Kaburagi threw her arm around the blonde's neck and shoved her phone's camera in her face. Only lightning fast smile reflexes kept him from looking like a dork. The shutter went off and the girl backed away.

"What was that for?"

"We were doing something fun and I thought I should take a picture of it 'cuz it'll probably never happen again." She clicked a few buttons and showed Barnaby the picture. They actually looked like they were friends. Which they weren't. "And now I have a picture of the fabulous Bunny Brooks Jr. to make all the other girls jealous!" The brunette cackled as Barnaby pulled his signature eyebrow lift. He scanned the mall again when she didn't look up from her phone. He flipped his curls as he caught another girl staring at him and placed a coy smile on his face.

"Sorry, Antonio texted me. Hey, can we go somewhere?" Kaburagi poked Barnaby to get his attention. "Do you have to flip your hair at every girl you see? Doesn't you neck get tired?"

"No," he replied honestly. "Where could you possibly want to go? It better not be a strip club"

"What do you take me for, a slut? Don't answer that." She pointed a finger at him as she finished off her second hotdog. After she swallowed, Kaburagi continued where she left off. "I wanted to see the Fortress Tower. It's been open for a few days now and Nathan told me the observation deck at the top as a spectacular view of the city. He says it'll become one of the most romantic spots in the city."

"Romantic? Are you trying to turn this into a date?" Barnaby gave the girl a sideways glance as he finished his hotdog as well.

"No! I wanted to go there _before_ it turns romantic!"

"If you say so." Barnaby stood and offered his hand to his partner.

She took it and pulled herself up while yanking down her black skirt. "You're glasses are crooked." She reached up to fix them herself. Barnaby held down a blush as her face came within inches of his own. Once the glasses were straightened to her satisfaction, they both grabbed their bags and Kaburagi waved to Rocky the hotdog guy as they left the mall. One short bus ride later and they were both standing at the bottom of the massive building known as the Fortress Tower. It reminded Barnaby of the Eifel Tower, with the way the building was structured wider at the bottom than the top. The observation deck on the top of the building looked like a bulging marshmallow had been skewered on a campfire stick. Kaburagi grabbed Barnaby's hand and pulled him behind her as she ran into the skyscraper. He shied away from her touch the second she loosened her grip.

"Wow! Look at this place!" The building was still full of visitors this time in the evening. Little crowds were all over the place on the green tiled floor and Tetsuko had run over to a huge statue of Lady Justice. She whipped out her phone and took a picture.

"Why do you need pictures of everything?" Barnaby asked as she walked up to her.

"Because I want to remember everything."

"If something's worthwhile won't you remember it anyway? I find pictures and souvenirs to be tedious and meaningless mementos that convey nothing of the experience they're supposed to represent." Barnaby had very few possessions besides his necessities: only his laptop, a family portrait and a toy robot he'd gotten from his parents.

" Ooo, looks like Bunny got out his dictionary again!"

"Shut up and come on. Didn't you want to go to the observation deck?"

"Yeah." Barnaby led his partner over to the elevators and pressed the call button. The car took forever to come down.

"Maybe it's broken?" Tetsuko ventured. The pair almost left when finally the door dinged open. A tall black man exited the elevator in a blue workman's outfit and cap. He also carried a red tool box in his hand and walked away without a word.

"Hey! Is it okay to get on?" Kaburagi called after the man.

"Yeah, I just fixed it." The man's low voice replied. He turned to look the girl in the eye.

"Fixed it? It thought this place was brand-new."

"It wasn't anything big. I was just greasing the cables." He walked away and Barnaby entered the car.

"I'm waiting." He called to Kaburagi who was still watching the workman.

"Are you sure it's safe?" She leaned in and tucked her arm behind her head, mussing up her spiky hair.

"Just get on." Barnaby let the elevator music fill the silence as he straightened his leather jacket. The ride was short and uneventful, and Barnaby found out that the observation deck wasn't just for gazing at the city; it was also a expensive restaurant as well. He directed his companion over to the windows without tables in front of them and looked out over the Gold Stage.

"Nathan's right, this place is great!" Barnaby had to stop Kaburagi from sticking her hands on the glass and started asking her about the buildings they were looking at.

"What's that one?" He pointed to another skyscraper across from them.

"How should I know? It's a building."

"Don't you live in this city? Why don't you know these things?"

"You're the one who lives in the Gold Stage so you should know!" Barnaby shook his at her and pinched the bridge of his nose. They looked out the windows for half an hour before Barnaby started getting bored. He glanced around and was about to start his flirt-with-the-girl-halfway-across-the-room routine when an alarm went off.

"Attention all visitors," the P.A. intoned, "the building's security alarm has been activated."

"Great." Kaburagi huffed.

"Remain calm and await instructions from our security personnel." The rest of the announcement was drowned out by men in green uniforms asking everyone to evacuate. Barnaby spotted two officers whispering to each other and snuck his was over to listen in on their conversation.

"We've got a bomb threat," one said.

"Where's the bomb?" The other asked.

"We haven't found it yet."

"Were there any demands made by the perpetrator?"

"No, but it could just be a prank." Barnaby's adrenaline began pumping in fear as he made his way back to Kaburagi and told her what was going on. She was silent for a moment, fear evident in her eyes as well. Then they got wider in shock.

"I'll be right back!" She started to dash off but Barnaby grabbed her arm at the last second.

"Where the hell are you going?" He hissed.

"I've got to check something out!" She broke away and ran around the dome. He admired her for sprinting in those ridiculous heels. Barnaby followed her and barely escaped being herded towards the stairs by the security guards. He'd lost the girl in the confusion but crouched behind a huge vase of flowers near the elevators completely hidden by its shadow. Then gunshots rang out. Barnaby ducked down even further in the shadows as men in black clothes and masks stormed into the hallway. There had to be at least a dozen of them.

"Everybody down on the ground! We've got a bomb hidden in this building and we will blow it up with all of you in here if you don't cooperate with us!" One of the men shouted and shot off a machine gun round. The terrorists were all in the restaurant area with the visitors and guards. _They've probably blocked all the exits down to the lower floors like the stairs, _Barnaby reasoned. _But why aren't they stationed by the elevators? _

"Take out all your wallets, money and give us all your precious jewelry and no one gets hurt!" Another man shouted.

"All guns out! Kick them over to me and no funny business or you're all gonna be full of lead!" Barnaby heard the metal of the guns hit the ground and slid across the flood. _Old lady where are you? _Barnaby glanced around nervously, trying to find Kaburagi without giving himself away. He sweated for a few minutes being the flowers until he heard a soft thump and quite footsteps. Kaburagi in her bright green attire crept out from the elevator room and Barnaby grabbed her waist and yanked her into his hiding place. He clapped his hand over the mouth before she could shout and give them away.

"Where the hell did you go?" He was beyond pissed at her. She threw his hand off of her face and glared at him.

"I found the bomb, idiot! Where are the attackers?" She whispered low enough that Barnaby had to lean in close to hear her.

"In the restaurant area. Where is the bomb? How did you find it?"

"It was weird that they were still working on the elevator in a new building. So I checked the car we were in. It wasn't in there but then I saw the maintenance door on the ceiling and climbed up. Hell, it was hard to do that in a skirt! The bomb's on top of the elevator." She crouched next to him and looked around for anyone coming. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

"No! Take me to the bomb!"

"Are you out of your fucking mind? We've got to get those people out of here!" _Always thinking of others. _

"No, I can disarm the bomb and then the biggest threat the attackers have is gone. All the authorities have to do is get the guns away from the terrorists and get everyone out."

"You can seriously disarm a fucking bomb?" She gave him an incredulous look, "What messed you up as a kid to teach yourself how to do that?"

"My parents were robotic engineers so I read engineering manuals and texts when I was young."

"That's no childhood!" _I didn't really have a childhood to begin with. _"Come on then!" Tetsuko crawled out when the coast was clear, the terrified noises of the hostages were silenced by more gunshots. Barnaby noticed she'd ditched the Oxford heels and was walking around in her stockings. He also noticed the rips in her skirt. She silently led him down the hall and around the corner to the elevator she propped open. Inside looked the same as when they'd rode up in it, except the hatch that was dangling open. Kaburagi was about to jump up when she stopped.

"What's the hold up? Get moving!" Barnaby seethed with impatience and terror.

"I kinda ripped my skirt on the way up the first time!" She backed away holding the hem down. Barnaby took a look at the piece of clothing and saw that she'd tied one of the slits back together at the waist and the other looked ready to fall apart. The shirt was almost short enough to almost show the cleft in between her legs. "Don't look! I don't want you seeing my underwear again!"

"Now is not the time to be worrying about this! Come on!" Even his low, quiet voice sounded poisonous. Barnaby put his hands around her waist and hoisted the girl up to the hatch. She suppressed a squeal and grabbed the ledge. She kneed Barnaby in the face as she shimmied up.

"Ow!" He hissed as he peeked at her black thong, butt cheeks in full view.

"Sorry!" She whispered down and reached down her hand to pull the blond up. Once up, Barnaby pulled the hatch closed so no one knew that they were up there took a look around the elevator shaft. Sitting in the corner was the biggest bomb he had ever seen. Tetsuko's shoes were thrown next to it haphazardly. Cylinder shaped and almost a foot tall, the bomb was counting down from nine minutes in bright blue digital numbers. Barnaby froze for a moment, letting terror consume him before roughly pushing it down and kneeling next to the device. Kaburagi joined him, her breathing quick and shallow with fear.

"How did you know it was here?" He softly put his hands on the bomb.

"It was weird that they were still doing work on a brand-new building. And that workman was so clean he couldn't have been greasing cables all day."

"I see you schooling did actually teach you something." Barnaby joked flatly as he reached into his cargo pants for his pocket knife.

"Hey, just because I got held back does not mean I'm completely retarded!" Her voice rose with her temper.

"Sh! Keep your voice down!"

"Sorry," The girl looked at him nervously, "So, you got a plan?"

"Yeah, be careful. You're lucky you didn't set it off when you barged in here. And don't throw your shoes next to explosive devices." He handed the brunette her shoes and she just clutched them to her chest like they were her lifeline. He took out the screwdriver piece of his knife and set to work taking off the exterior shell. Kaburagi watched him intently, not moving an inch.

"What are you doing?"

"Sitting here, what do you think?"

"Why don't you get out of here, I can handle this by myself."

"I'm not gonna ditch you. What kind of jerk do you think I am? Don't answer that one either."

"Anyway, that's touching but if I were in your place, I'd ditch me." Barnaby turned back to his work and removed the outer panel, revealing a mess of wires that instantly brought images of bomb schematics into his brain.

"Yeah, well, I'm not you, okay? And don't get the idea that I like you because we've only known each other for a few days and we get on each other's nerves and piss each other off too much for that. But, I've got standards too, ya know, and I'm not leaving you here alone when I can help."

"I know how you can help."

"How?"

"By shutting up."

"Bossy Bunny."

Barnaby dismantled the whole front of the bomb and got to work on the wiring, recalling past instructions he'd memorized from his readings. _We'll be okay as long as the criminals don't set off the bomb. Then we're all dead. _Minutes ticked by as he worked. The screwdriver went away and the cutters came out as the blond wiped the sweat from his brow. His hair kept on getting in his way as he brushed it angrily behind his ears.

"Here," fingers were combing through his curls and pulling them back into a hair band. Barnaby shuttered as Kaburagi's cool breath broke the heat on his skin. "What kind of girl doesn't have a hair band in her arsenal of tricks?" she joked, easing the tension in the air just a bit. She backed away and the boy was grateful not to have to worry about his hair anymore. Her fingers on his scalp were also a bonus. A ripping noise cut through the air as Barnaby glanced up at his partner. She held out a piece of her shirt sleeve to him. "It's hot in here, and you're sweating like a pig and I don't want you to ruin your precious jacket." The girl smirked as he took the cloth and wiped his face.

"Then you won't mind holding it." The boy quickly slung it off and tossed it to the girl. She caught it and hugged it to her chest instead of her shoes. _I'd like to get held to that chest. _Barnaby yanked his thoughts back to the device in front of him. Six minutes left. He began cutting wires carefully.

Five minutes.

Four.

Three.

By two minutes he'd disconnected the conductor and explained to Tetsuko about the trap. He'd narrowed the wires down to the one above the detonator and the one below it. If he cut the wrong one, it would all be over.

"This is so cliché! If you cut the right one we're safe, but the wrong one will KABOOM!" Her sound effects weren't helping the situation.

"Yeah so now I have to cut the one that'll defuse the bomb."

"Well, cut it already!"

"If I knew which one it was I would have!"

"Well, arguing isn't getting us the hell anywhere! Cut the top one!" Kaburagi pointed to the upper wire.

"Why?"

"'Cuz my gut says so and it's got a pretty good record!"

"As if!"

"Well then, Mr. Logic: which one's the right one?"

"I'm trying to figure that out!"

"Well cut one of them! Hurry up!"

And alarm went off on the bomb as they were arguing. Both teens gasped in shock as the countdown display flashed red with each passing second. 30…29…28…

"The bottom? Or top?" Barnaby spoke to himself, his trembling hand going back and forth between to the two wires. 13…12…11…10…

"Go high! Now!" Tetsuko commanded. Barnaby gasped and cut a wire, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Are we dead?" Barnaby's eyes opened into the dim elevator shaft and a Tetsuko with her hands plastered over her face. She was trembling uncontrollably as she kneeled on the floor.

"No, we're not dead." Tetsuko opened her big golden eyes and stared at Barnaby in awe. She crawled over him to peek at the disarmed bomb.

"Which on did you cut?" She smiled as she spotted the broken top wire.

"Ha! You listened to me!"

"If you'd been wrong I'd have haunted you for eternity and given you hell for it." All of a sudden Barnaby was pinned under the girl's body with her lips crushed against his. All he felt was her warmth and soft flesh as she pressed close to him. Barnaby kissed back, just happy to be alive and slipped his tongue into her hot mouth. They dueled for dominance, as his arms wrapped around her back and cradled her head, fingers twisting into her hair. Tetsuko's arms tightened around his neck and Barnaby's leg slipped in between hers to pull her lower body even closer. She gasped into his mouth when the blond ground against her hips. She disengaged their lips with a pop.

"Whoa, slow down there, Bunny. We've still got a hot situation downstairs." She panted against his face, clearly turned on as well.

"A hot situation indeed." He smirked at the innuendo.

"Oh, don't tell me you got turned on from that!" She tried to climb off but Barnaby didn't let her and held her close a moment longer.

"How could I not. You jumped me!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Well, cool it then 'cuz we still have to get out of here in one piece." Barnaby let it slide that she felt just a hot and bothered as he was. _I'll tease her about it later. _The blonde finally let her go and grabbed his jacket, the situation banishing all thoughts of having Tetsuko on top of him again.

"I wonder why they haven't realized the bomb didn't go off." The girl asked as she lifted the hatch ever so slightly to take a peek outside.

"They probably thought they had more time or they've left the building already." Barnaby joined her by the hatch. He could still hear the men collecting their spoils from the frightened hostages. "Idiots. They can't even keep track of time. They'd been blown up by now too if I hadn't disarmed the bomb."

"Well, idiots can't be that hard to beat. Jake Martinez's goons seem more capable that these bozos."

"Then they shouldn't be a problem for you, considering I had to save you last time, old lady." Barnaby poked.

"For a bunny, you're not so cute."

"I wasn't trying to be."

"Yeah well, they outnumbered me that time."

"We're outnumbered now."

"Yeah, but there's two of us. Soon to be more." She reached into her shirt and dug around her breasts.

"What are you doing?" Barnaby blushed as Kaburagi fished out her cell phone.

"You know, you shouldn't be embarrassed. Girl's had the original breast pockets, not men." She dialed 911 and told the operator the situation. Tetsuko got patched through to the police on the scene down stairs.

"The bomb has been disarmed and the criminals are on the top floor robbing the hostages," she whispered. "There are about fifteen men from what my friend saw and they all have guns. The security guards don't have any weapons at this point. The whole group is in the restaurant area." She paused and listened to the officer on the other end of the line. "Okay." She hung up.

"What now?"

"Well, he told me to say here with you and not to move, but I think those people downstairs need our help, don't you think?" She gave him a wild grin and she started climbing down in her racy outfit.

"You're crazy, but I can't think of anything else more boring than sitting up here. If nothing at least I get the glory for stopping the bomb."

"Always thinking of yourself." Tetsuko dropped softly to the floor, shoes in hand.

"Of course." Barnaby joined her as they crept out of the elevator.

When the first masked man passed by their vase of flowers he was knocked to the ground by Barnaby's fancy footwork and incapacitated by Tetsuko's furious fists. Barnaby took the machine gun and Kaburagi whined about how she was stuck with the guy's pistol. The blond told her to shut up and they crept down the hallway silently. Barnaby almost laughed at his partner when he saw the pistol in one hand and her shoes gripped tightly in the other.

"Hey, heels make good weapons!" She hissed at him. They split up onto different sides of the hallway and hid behind pillars when they heard voices. Two guys were walking down the hall toward the elevators, probably going to check the bomb. The pair leaped out at the same time when the black-clad men passed their hiding spots. Barnaby's guy got silenced when he clubbed his head with the butt of his gun. Tetsuko's got a face full of boobs and a crack on the head with her Oxford heels. Both went down silently. The shoes weren't even damaged.

"See?" Kaburagi held up her heels and twirled them around her finger by the straps.

"I will never doubt heels again."

"Only twelve left. I'm beginning to like our odds." Tetsuko chuckled quietly as they both grabbed the guns and strapped them across their backs. They began moving down the hallway again. "I feel so badass!"

"Don't get too excited. The rest are all in a pack." Barnaby passed a fire extinguisher and unhooked it from the wall with one hand, the other still holding his gun.

"What's that for?"

"Diversion. It'll also make a decent smoke screen."

"Smart."

"I know I am."

"Shut up."

They reached the entrance to the restaurant and carefully peeked into the room. The robbers all looked nervous, their hands all twitching against their guns. The hostages were all on the floor, a few people were silently crying.

"Where are they? Finding out what was wrong with the bomb shouldn't take this long!" The leader growled at an underling.

"I don't know, sir. Should we send someone else down?" The underling was trembling under the glare of his boss.

"No, I can't waste anyone else. We need to get out of here. Take some of the women and children; we'll use them as shields." Barnaby couldn't let them do that. He unhooked the fire extinguisher's hose and turned it on as he chucked it at the nearest goon's head.

"Gah!" The metal clanged against his skull and Kaburagi was in motion the second the entrance was obscured. She chucked a few of her guns at the prone security guards who instantly reacted and snatched them up. The whole room went straight to hell. Barnaby lost sight of his companion as he fought his way through the robbers. Gun shots rang out and the screams and shouts of robber and hostages alike obscured all other noise. Barnaby swung his gun into one goon's face and kicked his feet out from under him before knocking him out. Strong hands wrapped around his neck and yanked him back. He gasped and struggled to breathe as his feet kicked the man behind him. A sharp _crack_ let Barnaby fall to the floor as the goon collapsed next to his buddy. One of the guards had saved him. He swallowed tenderly and nodded his thanks. The security guard kept watch on Barnaby's back as he did the same. The smoke in the room made it hard for anyone to see anything, but the civilians had all backed into the corner by the stairs and were escaping. A bullet whizzed by Barnaby's head as he dodged and attacked the man who fired at him. The goon got in a punch or two before Barnaby put out his lights. All of a sudden a single voice could be heard above the roar of the fight.

"FUCK!" _Tetsuko! _"That was my leg, you asshole! And you give that back, pervert! I have to wear that to not get ticketed for indecency!" Her form came into view as the smoke began to dissipate. Someone had broken one of the windows and it was letting in the cool night air. Barnaby saw Tetsuko's skirt in the hand of the leader of the robbers, leaving the girl in only her black thong. Her lip was bleeding, her shirt torn up; vest missing and she had a bullet wound in her right leg. Barnaby took a step towards her when the leader grabbed the Japanese girl by the throat.

"Nobody move or she dies!" The whole room fell silent. Barnaby prayed that the hostages were out and the police on their way up, or else the girl might asphyxiate to death. Tetsuko's hands scrabbled for purchase on the hand cutting off her air ways and settled on his forearm in a white knuckled grip. She kicked at the goon with her stocking-clad legs, but it didn't seem to have an effect on him. Her face was turning purple and blue as she gasped for air. Tetsuko caught Barnaby's eyes and pleaded for help. He nodded slowly and counted down with his fingers. 3…2…1…Tetsuko swung her body up in a last-ditch effort and kicked the terrorist in the face. Off balance and stumbling, the robber was in the perfect position for Barnaby to dash across the room and crouch to sweep his left leg right under his body. The criminal landed on his back with a _thud _and let go of his hostage. Tetsuko fell right into Barnaby's awaiting arms as they crashed to the floor. Her blue face slowly regained color as the authorities rushed into the room and surrounded the perpetrators. _Perfect timing, _Barnaby noted. The girl in his arms hacked, coughed and gasped for air as Barnaby held her safely on the ground.

"Thanks," she croaked out when she could speak.

"No problem, but as I said before, I won't always be there to catch you." He brushed some of her hair out of her face so it wouldn't get caught in her mouth.

"But for now," cough, "you make a pretty," cough, cough, "good landing pad." She smiled weakly up at him.

"I'm not going anywhere with you anymore, all you do is cause trouble."

"Aw," she whined, getting her voice back. "And I thought we had something besides mutual hate going on here."

"Let's get that leg looked at." Barnaby said, avoiding further conversations. He cradled the injured girl in his arms and slowly stood up.

"Could you grab my skirt? My butt's showing." Tetsuko pointed in the direction of her handcuffed would-be murderer.

"Nobody cares about that now."

"I do! Now go get it!" Barnaby did as he was told and grabbed her skirt to she could drape it over her hips. Medical personnel were looking after the wounded and Barnaby took his partner over to one of them. Then he had to hold Kaburagi down so the man could remove the bullet with tweezers. Tetsuko grit her teeth and only yelped once as the metal projectile was removed from her thigh. The doctor bandaged up both teens. Barnaby had a compress around his next for his bruises and a bandage over her lip to stop the bleeding. Kaburagi was in a much worse state with her bullet wound; severe bruising on her throat and deep cuts all over her body. She said, "One of the assholes had a damn knife."

Barnaby had to half carry her down to the ground floor when they were allowed to leave. Questioned out of their minds for the police records, the men in blue were impressed by their teamwork and Barnaby's skills with bombs but disappointed that they had disobeyed orders and not stayed on top of the elevator. Both their families had been contacted and were on their way. By the time the duo made it out of the building Barnaby was exhausted and almost dropped Tetsuko as a result. She was too tired to even complain about it. When they walked out of the building, the first person Barnaby recognized was Ms. Agnes running towards them with her crew trailing behind with the cameras.

"What did I tell you about getting into trouble?" She yelled at the girl hanging off of Barnaby's body.

"To not drag Bunny into it." She replied grumpily.

"Correct, but I have to admit your foolishness is golden news reporting! The second we heard about the bomb threat we drove straight back to get footage of the scene. Low and behold, I find out that you two are inside and Barnaby disarmed the bomb! Fantastic stuff!"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"I eavesdropped on the police scanner when they got your call, Kaburagi."

"Typical, Joubert."

"You betcha! You'll be famous for this, Barnaby!"

"What about me?" Tetsuko's question went unheard as Agnes pressed the blond for details. He retold the whole incident for the third time and was glad when his uncle Maverick showed up in a private car to take him home. The stocky man had a huge mole on his face and wore a butterfly neck tie with his suit and glasses. He greeted Ms. Joubert and her crew and asked after Barnaby's welfare. Barnaby was ready to go home and sleep, but he didn't want to leave Tetsuko alone in the mess that was the courtyard of the Fortress Tower. She was leaning heavily on his shoulder, practically dead on her feet, but she perked up when shouts of "Tetsuko!" broke through the crowd.

"Kaa-san! 'Masa!" The Japanese girl lurched towards her family as they ran up to her. Muramasa reached her first and took his sister from Barnaby's arms. He was taller than his sibling, with the same tan skin but darker eyes and hair. Their mother reached them a few moments later. Mrs. Kaburagi was an attractive older woman with a few wrinkles here and there, pale skin that contrasted with her children's and deep brown eyes filled with tears. They spoke softly in Japanese and hugged each other. It was the first time Barnaby had seen Tetsuko cry. And then the blond started tearing up himself when he saw how much they all loved each other.

"I think it's time I took Barnaby home." Maverick's hand descended on his shoulder, anchoring the boy with reality. He nodded at his guardian and went to say goodbye to his fellow student who was headed to the hospital to have her wound stitched up properly.

"I blame you." He stated as the Kaburagis looked at him.

"All because I wanted to see the view." Tetsuko laughed dryly.

"In the most romantic spot in Sternbild." He threw back.

"Hey, it's not romantic yet." She quipped.

"And yet you still managed to break it."

"It wasn't my fault this time!"

"Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever." She let the argument drop for once as Maverick led him away to the car. Barnaby thought about the night and realized that where was more to her than met the eye. And maybe she'd seen something in him that he hadn't noticed yet, because she had been determined to stick to his side that evening instead of leaving him when she had the chance. And then the heated kiss popped into his head and he blushed as he leaned toward the window to watch the city pass by. _It was a good kiss, _he decided. _Maybe I can get another sometime. _He drifted off to sleep, exhausted and deeply dreamed of golden eyes and black miniskirts.

A/N: And there you go! Reviews are an artist's bread butter, and they are delicious! See ya next time!


	4. New Suit, New Suprises

A/N: Its me again! New update! Yay! As always, please excuse spelling mistakes.

I do not own Tiger & Bunny, though I do so wish I did.

Chapter Four: New Suit, New Surprises

They were famous. Well, Bunny was more famous than Tetskuo, but she was okay with that. Ms. Agnes hadn't slept all weekend because she wanted all the bomb incident footage mixed for the show and the school let her air it on Monday instead of Wednesday. The student body ate it up like sharks in frenzy. _I'll let the kid have the spotlight, Tomoe. He actually deserves it this time. _Tetsuko glanced at her promise ring and smiled sadly. She then looked up to scan the school yard. Under the shade of yet another tree she had the perfect view of Bunny being Bunny with a bunch of girls. _He thrives off this stuff, I tell you. _Bunny wrapped his arms around two female students and flashed his winning smile as the other girl holding the camera took the picture. Ivan was totally hiding in the background. _And he thrives off of photo bombs._ _Seriously Tomoe, he needs to get into the crowd once in a while. _

Tetsuko thought about the conversation the two partners had earlier about how she wasn't supposed to touch Bunny's phone because it was not appreciated. Just thinking about how miffed he was made her laugh. She carefully rolled out her neck; the weekend's injuries were still plaguing her. The bruises on her neck were beginning to heal and most of her cuts were gone by this point. It was her bullet wound that was giving her trouble. The hospital had given her a crutch to walk on but after two days of falling over more than usual, she'd chucked the thing out of an open window. 'Masa went outside and grabbed it for her. It was only Wednesday and she wanted to bludgeon herself to death with the thing so she didn't have to use it anymore. The wound just kept hurting, damn it! _It's a good thing the bullet didn't hit anything important, Tomoe. It just really got caught on the side of my thigh muscle, so I don't see the big deal about me using a crutch. It's fortunate my body's really good at healing or else it could be a lot worse, ya know? _The doctor who stitched her up said she'd be fine to walk on her own in two weeks and the girl had been marking off the days on her calendar with vigor. _Only nine more days, Tomoe, and then I can chuck this thing out the window again. _

It was the lunch period and Tetsuko was lounging with Karina outside, listening to her practice for the choir club. She had a solo performance coming up and the blonde was having a hard time sustaining some of the high notes for long periods of time. Tetsuko promised her that every time she succeeded, she'd toss her a quarter. The brunette had lost two bucks so far.

Keith and Nathan ended up joining them. They tried to swipe Tetsuko's quarters so she had to fend them off with her crutch and shoved the money into her right skirt pocket (the leg that no one would touch) and grabbed her lunch for today: fried rice. It was the only thing she felt like eating and the grains were small enough to swallow without straining her throat. She chucked a spoonful of rice at Nathan when his hand wandered down to Keith's butt and then continued eating as if nothing had happened. Ten minutes later Bunny joined the group, voluntarily this time.

"Oh, what a surprise! That star has decided to grace us with his presence." Tetsuko patted the ground next to her and Karina for the blond to sit down.

"Don't get too excited because I came to tell you not to litter." He eyed the scattered rice grains as she sat down.

"Yeah, yeah. Wake me up when your lecture's over." She cocked her head back and faked snoring which got the group to laugh. Except Bunny, of course.

"I also see that you decided to wear the school uniform correctly for once." Tetsuko had buttoned up her blouse to as high up as the buttons went and pulled her skirt as far down as it would go. She didn't wear her tie because it irritated her neck, but no matter what she did, the bruises still showed and her leg bandages peeked out from under her skirt.

"My injuries aren't as flattering as yours are, eh?" His own bruises were almost gone and his lip wasn't swollen anymore.

"That's because you're too reckless." He pointed out, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll have you know that when people are in trouble I don't-GAH!" Tetsuko yelped as Karina leapt at her. The blonde girl pounced on her boobs and squeezed the soft globes of flesh in her hot little hands. "What are you doing?" The Japanese girl struggled under the younger female.

"I've been wanting to do this for forever!" She squealed gleefully, squeezing the brunette's breasts multiple times. "They really do feel as good as they look," she methodically felt every curve like she was studying a new species. "And you don't even pad them or anything!" Tetsuko's hands zipped up to Karina's and tried to pry them off, but she only held on tighter.

"Ow! That hurts!" Tetsuko was blushing beet red as she glanced around at their company. Ivan (who had snuck over at some point) was blushing worse than she was and ducked into his bush the instant Tetsuko made eye contact. Keith had plastered a fake smile to his face and slapped his hands over his eyes, so not to see anything. He looked liked one of those "see no evil" monkey statues, minus the tail. Nathan was alternating between girlish cackles and trying to get in on the action, his dark eyes alight with fire. He "ooooed" in his falsetto voice and vaulted over toward the two girls but Karina pulled Tetsuko clear of him by her boobs, rolling under the older student in the process.

"OW!" Tetsuko shouted. It went ignored.

"You can have your turn next, drag queen! It's my turn now!"

"Party pooper! There are two of them! Share!"

The roll had put Tetsuko and Karina right into Bunny's space and he was stuttering as he tried to get words out of his mouth. Probably something about appropriate conduct on school grounds, but he was too busy lisping and trying to keep from staring at the girl's rolling around on the ground to actually say anything coherent. _He can't hide anything in that blush-ow! Damn you Karina! _

"Do you have a special diet to make you chest bigger?" Karina started questioning the girl for the thousandth time about her breasts. "I read that when women lose weight it goes from their breasts first. It that true?"

"She wouldn't know, because the old lady only eats fattening foods." Bunny got his tongue working again but was still blushing furiously as he scooted out of the way of the struggling girls.

"Quit calling me fat and help me, Bunny!" Tetsuko managed to get one knee tucked up near her chest to put a barrier between their bodies. The only problem was she'd used her right knee and the girl could feel the stitches in her wound straining.

"So seriously, is this," boob squeeze, "all genetics or did you eat something to make them grow so big and full? Because I've seen girls who are apparently a DD but their breasts have no volume, just the distance from their ribs." Karina used one of her fingers to poke her captive's breast right in the center. A zing shot up the teen's spine that made her entirely too hot and uncomfortable.

"Don't touch that! It's sensitive!" That certainly turned some heads in the school yard. Bunny's nose actually started bleeding, Ivan was nowhere to be seen (probably under a rock like Tetsuko wanted to be), Keith hadn't moved an inch, and Nathan was laughing so hard he had to hold his stomach.

"This is turning into porn!" Nathan exclaimed loudly, saying what no one else would.

"Karina, get off me now." Tetsuko's voice was so low and dangerous that the blonde paused in her chest rape. Actually scared of her friend for a moment, she stared in shock at the fierce glare and bared teeth Tetsuko was showing. The Japanese girl took the opportunity to unlatch her frozen hands and throw the other girl off. She then leapt up and ran as fast as her hindered leg let her. Her thigh screamed in pain as she quickly limped around to the back of the school building. Once out of sight her leg decided it had had enough of the pain bullshit the girl had put it through and gave her an extra special dose of hurt as it collapsed under her. Hitting the grass hard, Tetsuko cried out, barely catching her upper body with her hands. She crawled over to the school's shadowed wall and pulled herself into a sitting position. The girl hissed as she checked her thigh. Blood had seeped through the bandages.

"Damn," she whispered roughly, voice coated in pain as she dropped her skirt on her lap. She smoothed her wrinkled blouse and rubbed her tender chest. "Girl's got a good grip." She caught her breath after her escape and heard the harsh voice of Yuri Petrov lecturing Karina about proper behavior. Tetsuko laughed at her, not caring that it was mean.

"I know I said I'd never run away from my problems, Tomoe, but that ball buster is an exception."

"Who's Tomoe?" Bunny surprised Tetsuko as she whipped her head around to look at him. Her neck flared up in irritation.

"Ouch." She rubbed her aching muscles gently.

"That looked like it hurt," the blonde stated. He toted her bag and crutch in his hands as he sat down next to her again.

"It did. Thanks." She took both items Bunny held out to her and set them on the ground. "You were no help," she accused.

"I don't fight battles I don't have a plan for."

"You were too busy enjoying the show, that's why." She hoped that Bunny didn't bring up Tomoe again. No such luck.

"Who's Tomoe, old lady?" Tetsuko growled at the nickname.

"He's a guy I met in middle school. He hung out with me and 'Tonio a lot and we dated for a while." _The short version's better, no need to open up a can of emotional mess. _

"Did he graduate already?" _Sort of, _Tetsuko sighed.

"No, he died two and a half years ago of cancer." There was the sharp pain in her chest again, only this time it wasn't caused by Karina's hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He actually looked sympathetic, like he'd experienced something similar as well.

"Aw, hell," Tetsuko slipped her hand behind her head and forced a smile on her face. "No need to drag up the past, Sleeping dogs and all. We loved each other, that's all." Bunny looked like he knew that she knew that he knew that _she_ was downplaying everything she was saying.

"Is that why you wear that ring every day?" He gestured to the silver band around her ring finger. Tetsuko hadn't thought he'd noticed. _I shouldn't be surprised, nothing much gets past Bunny. _

"Yep, he made me promise to keep helping people if I could." The bell ringing the end of lunch kept the boy from answering.

"Come on, old lady. Let me help you up." Bunny stood and grabbed the crutch from the ground. He pulled Tetsuko up gently as she got situated on her left leg. She tucked the crutch under her right arm and took her bag from Bunny.

"Thanks." She started hobbling away when she tripped clumsily. Strong hands caught her waist and held her steady, the same strong hands that had roamed all over her back during their heated kiss. _I wonder if he thinks about that kiss as much as I do. It was kind of nice. _

"Don't break your hip, old timer," he teased in her ear.

"Oh, zip it!" Tetsuko's fiery personality returned in full force as she yanked herself away from the boy. _Why did I ever kiss him? _She wondered if it was just elation at not getting blown up, sheer stupidity or if she really feel something for the brat. _Tomoe, _she started her mental one-sided conversation again, _I don't think I'm ready for any serious relationships and certainly not with that bastard. I haven't thought about anyone except you for years. So why now? _She realized that Bunny had been following her into the building the whole time.

"You're thinking about something. It doesn't look good on your face." The blond stated nonchalantly. Tetsuko tripped him with her crutch.

"Think on that, brat!" She waved her crutch back at the boy sprawled on the floor and started away as fast as she could into the busy hallway.

The next week after that, Ben finally let her come back to work. He called it "forced vacation,' she called it "punishment" but he wouldn't let her work as long as she was on a crutch. The second she didn't need it, out the window it went. Bunny had taken over her section and was gaining popularity like a tidal wave. He even put up a fight for the monthly challenge, which Dragon Kid was poised to win. If the middle-school student won she was going to have the crew buy her a new punching bag and pads for her kung fu training. When Tetsuko limped into Hero's Bar that first Monday she got back, she was greeted by six costumed teenagers and one tank-like man.

"Antonio!" She broke into a stumbling run and tackled her best friend in a flying hug.

"Hey there, 'Suko!" The Spaniard laughed in his deep, warm voice. He wrapped his burly arms around her torso and swung her around a few time before setting the girl on the ground. He still sported the slicked back hair, red V-neck and leather jacket her wore in high school. Tetsuko also noticed he wore the beat up boots she'd bullied him into buying years ago under his jeans. And then she punched him in the arm really hard.

"Ow!"

"Why didn't you text me two days ago?" I've been trying to reach you forever!" She crossed her arms and glared up at one of the few men taller than her.

"I crushed my phone," he stated, "so I couldn't text you back obviously."

"How did you do that?"

"I sat on it."

"Your butt broke your phone?" Tetsuko roared with laughter as she slapped the huge man on the back. "You're worse than me sometimes!"

"No, you will always be worse," he shot back.

"Agreed." A whole chorus affirmed the comment.

"You all suck." The heroes laughed at her.

As they chatted for a few minutes before the restaurant opened, Tetsuko finally got a good look at Bunny's suit. Nathan's phone didn't do it justice, but he still sort of looked like a robot with the black under suit and hard outer shell covering his body in red and white. The helmet was smooth like and egg and had blue eyes and a visor that Bunny had up at the moment. The helmet didn't look quite right to the girl, it needed something else. _But what?_ She didn't know what was bugging her about it. She looked at the blond again, holding the helmet issue on her back burner. It took Tetsuko a moment for figure out what was different about the boy. _Curls, check. Deathly white skin, check. Cocky Bastard smirk, check. Dorky glasses…not check. How can he see anything? Is he wearing contacts?_ The girl was about to ask Bunny about that when Ben's voice called her into his office. She knew what was coming and it deflated her good mood. She left Antonio fighting for his butt as Fire Emblem clung to him and walked as steadily as she could.

Ben's office was a simple affair with a desk for him, a filing cabinet for official documents and business affairs and pictures hung on the wall of heroes that had worked at the bar over the years. The man was sitting at his desk and gestured for Tetsuko to take a seat, pulling out a shipping box that was still taped up. Her stomach dropped just seeing the disaster that was about to happen. She sat carefully in one of the two chairs looked up at her boss.

"It's good to have you back Tetsuko."

"It's good to be back. I just about went stir crazy this last week. I had so much time on my hands that I actually studied for school, can you believe that?" She joked a little to make herself feel better, even with the heavy pit forming in her stomach.

"Yes, actually. You're more dedicated to school than you let people believe. You just get in way to much trouble to let people see that side of you." The black man chuckled warmly.

"You caught me, like always." She scratched her ear, "So what's up?"

"Your new suit came in last week," he patted the box, confirming what Tetsuko had deduced. She dashed to the desk and set her hands on the top of it.

"You didn't show anyone did you?" She panicked just a little. _What if it's stupid or way to flashy and everyone saw it before me and knows I'm going to look like an idiot?_

"No, this is yours and you get to see it first. Even I haven't looked." That was a relief. "Do you want to see it now?"

"Do I have to wear it?"

"Yes."

"Shit."

"Just open the box, Tetsuko." Ben provided a razor and the girl cut the tape holding the box shut. She peeled open the flaps slowly, dreading what monstrosity was packed inside, and peeked in. She was right with _flashy _in its most sexual context.

"What the hell is this?" She exclaimed at she stared at half an outfit. "Is this all of it?"

"Yes." Ben laughed at her reaction as he looked in as well.

"How could you do this to me?" Tetsuko wailed as she slapped the box shut, not wanting to look at the thing, let along _wear _it. "This is worse than Blue Rose's costume!" She pictured the lingerie-like uniform Karina wore and shuttered as her own face popped up instead of the blonde's.

"Just try it, okay? Give the thing a chance before you maul it to death." Ben tried to console the teenager, but it didn't really work.

"Fine, Ben. But I'm not going to enjoy this hooker-fest." She picked up the box and stalked through the door, almost bowling over the heroes huddled in the hallway. "Out of my way!" Tetsuko elbowed her way to the girl's dressing room, her anger completely obscuring the ache in her leg as she raged. She stomped into the changing room and slammed the door on the girl's who were trying to follow her in. She locked the door with a, "If I'm doing this, I'm gonna be alone," and leaned heavily on the frame of the door. Sighing she got up and opened the dreaded box again. _This is going to be a disaster, Tomoe. I can feel it in my gut. _Tetsuko undressed, the school uniform getting tossed into her locker blindly. She resisted the urge to put on her old costume and pulled out the plastic wrapped new one. _Good thing I wore a thong today. _

The suit looked similar to Bunny's in style but with a green and white theme instead of red and white. There was one more major difference: it had _a lot _less coverage. What Tetsuko held in her hands could almost fit into the category of "wear this when you're being kinky for your boyfriend." She had no problem with the black clingy stockings that reached halfway up her thighs, white and green mecha boots, black arms sleeves and chunky gauntlets that reached past her elbows and paired with black grip gloves. Neither did she mind the black and green neck piece or the see-through green and white pointy shoulder pad -things. What she had a problem with is there was no helmet like Bunny's (which meant that she would have to wear her domino mask all the time now) and the hard black and green leotard. It rode up her butt when she put it on, almost exposed her woman hood in the front and most certainly exposed all of her chest except her nipples. The top resembled a square-cut bodice, only it went _much _lowerbut it had a really cool tiger icon on a white triangle decoration right below her cleavage.

Tetsuko clicked on the costume as she swore and cursed every known god in any language she knew. The girl heard Blue Rose repeating everything that happened in the room to everyone else and Tetsuko kicked the door with a hard mecha boot to get her to _go away. _

Suited up, Tetsuko glanced in the mirror and visibility paled. "God, I'm not going out in this." Thighs exposed (except for her small bandage on her right leg) and breasts pushed up and out, the teen looked like a stripper and felt like an insecure little girl trying to act like a mature woman. _Help me, Tomoe, _she prayed. _This is worse than that time we went skinny dipping in the park pond with Antonio and got caught. I'd rather be naked than in this get up! _Tigress placed her domino mask on and brushed her hair behind her shoulders and with a dash of lip gloss; she was as ready as she'd ever be. _If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it confidently and with coolness. _Tigress coached in her brain as she steeled herselfto walk out that door and impress all her peers when Dragon Kid said, "What's going on? It got quite." The brunette listened at the door for a moment and heard her friends theorizing.

"Maybe she passed out from shock or something," Blue Rose suggested.

"Maybe she's practicing her sexy faces!" Fire Emblem got in a pinch and Antonio yelped from outside the dressing room.

"'Sexy faces?' Please, she doesn't have any." Bunny's voice held contempt and doubt and Tigress really wanted to punch him.

"Maybe she's practicing her winning smile! And again, a winning smile!" Sky High cheerfully suggested.

"No, that's what you do, honey," Fire Emblem pointed out.

"She's probably hiding in a locker, to cowardly to come out." Antonio raised his voice at the door as he spoke. That prickled the tiger's fur and she yelled back at him.

"I am not a coward, you hamburger!" She growled as she unlocked the door and heard all the heroes back away. She opened the door and posed like she'd never posed before. Turned to the right at an angle, back arched, chest and butt out in their respective directions, right leg popped, right hand on her neck, elbow out and head tipped back slightly, Tigress pouted with her full lips and seductively asked, "What do you think?"

The boy's jaws dropped, Dragon Kid cheered her entrance, Fire Emblem squealed and clapped his hands together and Blue Rose stared at her breasts.

"You better take back your previous statement, Handsome," Fire Emblem poked Bunny's slack jaw," because that was hot enough to turn on a eunuch!" The transvestite laughed happily.

"No fair! Now you boobs look even bigger!" Blue Rose complained as she reached out to touch Tigress. The cat covered her chest with her gauntlets and made her escape behind Antonio's back.

"You're not raping me again!" She peeked out from behind her wall of muscle.

"Aw, come on! Just one little squeeze?" The bluenette coaxed.

"No!"

"And I thought you said you weren't a coward," Antonio accused the girl, looking over his shoulder to peer at her. Tigress grinned evilly.

"Oh, Emblem!" She sang the sentence and the black man's head snapped around eagerly. "He's all yours!" The Spaniard ran for his butt's life as Fire Emblem's pinching fingers came out and chased him. But not thinking, the tiger had sent her protection away and Blue Rose pounced. Tigress dodged and ducked _her _pinching hands and ran around the four heroes not participating in fetish time.

"This is becoming a yuri/yaoi episode," Origami Cyclone asserted, watching Tigress keep Blue Rose on the other side of the group as both scantily clad women ran around the room. Fire Emblem had backed the bull-man up against a wall. The Spaniard had his hands on in buttocks and tried to escape the man who shamelessly rubbed up against him and reached for his butt cheeks. Dragon Kid and Sky High laughed at the scene, Origami watched calmly (_he's beet red under that helmet_) and Tigress saw Bunny following her with his eyes. She had a fantastic idea to get back at him for calling her unsexy as Blue Rose tried to grab her again. She skipped out if her reach the best she could and got the bluenette to follow her until they both were on either side of Bunny. She made her move when Blue Rose began to charge forward.

"Bunny, catch!" Tigress didn't understand why, but human nature compelled people to catch what was being thrown - no matter what it was. Bunny did this as Tigress leapt onto his body and Blue Rose dashed towards her. They ended up in a dog pile with Bunny on the bottom, again.

"Old lady," he growled slowly, clearly pissed off.

"That's for saying I'm not sexy, you bastard." The brunette fended off the girl idol's hands as she sat on Bunny's washboard abs, pinning him under two bodies. The blonde opened his mouth (probably to insult her again) but Ben chose this moment to walk in.

"What in hell's name is going on here?" Tigress pictured what he must be seeing: two dudes in the corner grinding in their clothes, three kids on the floor with more groping, and then three others on the fringes of the room that were laughing at everyone else.

"We're practicing a comedy routine for school. Is it working?" Tigress grinned lazily from the floor, shoving Blue Rose off her as she made excuses. Ben shook his head, his expression hovering somewhere in between amused and irritated.

"Just get to work you delinquents."

"Yes, sir!" The teens replied and split up to go to their sections. Antonio escaped, telling Tigress he'd hang out with her when her shift was over. Tigress stood up and let Bunny pick himself up and looked at his helmet again. _I swear it's missing something, _she thought again. _But what the hell is it? _The brat made to leave but the brunette grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Bunny."

"Why should I?" He glared at her, apparently pissed off on being on the bottom again. _Ha, on the bottom! _She inwardly chucked at the jibe.

"Your helmet looks funny." The mention of his appearance made Bunny concerned.

"What's wrong with it?" His hands roamed all over the top, trying to find something out of place. Tigress had a thought.

"I'll be right back. Stay here." She went into the empty boy's locker room and looked for Bunny's locker. He'd shut it, but the girl had experience breaking into things and bent down to listen to the tumblers. Her boot tops kept poking the joint of her hips and the shoulder pads got in the way. She popped open the locker after a few moments and saw Bunny's impeccable organizing skills. Clothes all hung up neatly and everything else stored away in its place, even his backpack was carefully placed on the bottom shelf. She yanked out the bag and rummaged inside to pull out what she was looking for.

"You're not supposed to be in here-hey! What are you doing?" Bunny stalked over to his locker as Tigress flipped around and placed something on his head.

"Wha-"

"There. Now it looks right, Bunny." Tigress had snapped on his stupid headphones that looked like rabbit ears on his head. The pink contrasted with the mostly white helmet and balanced out the color scheme.

"What did you do?" Bunny rushed over to the mirror and gaped at what she had done.

"You head looked plain, Bunny-boy. You were missing your ears!" She stated innocently, holding up her hands to her head in imitation ears.

"These are for listening to music, not for dress-up! And they're expensive!"

"Then you'll be careful. Plus they look good on you." She headed towards the door not realizing that she'd given him a compliment. "Come one, _partner. _We've got work to do."

He ended up leaving the headphones on. The other heroes didn't know what to think for a little while but they complimented his "ears" as they got used to them and Bunny soaked up the praise like a pro. Tigress' new costume made a great splash and for once she was getting noticed just as much as Bunny in their shared section. It worked out well: the girl's loved the blond and the men ogled the brunette. The two partners danced around each other all throughout work, only bumping into each other a few times. They were getting better at communicating and were efficiently keeping the customers happy. Tigress had to rest a lot because of her leg and when she was sitting, she watched how Bunny interacted with his guests. He was smiley as always and polite to anyone who wanted to take a picture with him. It was mostly kids from school, but some adults recognized him from the bomb scare in the Fortress Tower. Then he'd get asked to tell his side of the story and no matter how many times he had to repeat himself over the night, he'd keep smiling and laughing. But the smile never reached his eyes. That was one of the first things Tiger noticed about the boy, he never truly looked happy to her. After each little break was over, the brunette stood up, feeling a horrible pull in her leg and then went back to work. Once she was walking the wound would behave, but standing and sitting were always a chore for the hero.

That night a Mr. Legend episode was playing on the big screen and Tigress told Bunny that she was taking a break.

"But you just took one like ten minutes ago!" He called after the retreating hero.

"Forget it, Handsome! This happens every time Mr. Legend comes on. She just has to watch it and there's no stopping her." Fire Emblem said as he waltzed up to the blond. Tigress kept tabs on the conversation to make sure Emblem told Bunny the right version. She did _not_ have sexual fantasies about Mr. Legend; she just admired him more than any other hero.

"But what about her job?" Bunny

"Jackson already knows and if he's okay with it, we have to be okay with it. Now give me some sugar!" Fire Emblem leaned in for a kiss and a butt squeeze, but got neither as Bunny danced away. Tiger laughed at Fire Emblem's crest fallen face and turned back to the show. Mr. Legend was awesome. He saved people and always caught the bad guys and no matter how many times the girl watched his show, she never got bored. After thirty minutes of T.V. heaven, Tigress got back to work with a lighter bounce in her step than before.

After a busy night at Hero's Bar, Tigress dismantled her costume and got dressed in her school uniform again. She picked up the leotard piece of her costume and held it up as she rubbed her right leg down. She shook her head and placed the whole get-up in her locker, covering her old costume.

"It's okay, I guess. We'll try this again tomorrow." She talked to her mecha suit as she cleaned up. "Seriously, I thought you were going to be a whole ton of trouble, but it was really easy to get used to you. I think even Tomoe would've gotten a kick out of seeing me in you. Right, Tomoe?" Tetsuko chuckled and shut the locker door with a _click. _She flipped off the lights to the dressing room, the last one out for the night. Yelling goodbye to Ben, she left the restaurant and waited for Antonio outside on the sidewalk. Bunny had already left at the same time as the other heroes, calling Tetsuko as slow as a lady on a walker. After working all night, the girl felt like she needed a walker.

Antonio's green monster of a truck roared into the parking lot ten minutes later. He'd jacked the wheels since the last time she'd seen the car. Antonio had gotten half the thing from the junkyard and built the rest of it from scratch. It was his baby and for some reason, the inside was always filthy. Tetsuko had to have her friend hoist her up into the cab and nearly slipped on the beer bottles scattered on the floor. Seriously, he could stand to clean up last week's lunch that molded in the cup holder and put in an air freshener because the inside smelled like butt.

"Where the hell did you get all the booze and can I have some?" Tetsuko fished around the bottles with her foot as she sat down until she hit a full one. She picked it up and popped the lid. Swallowing half the bottle, the bitter liquid hit her stomach and soaked into her system. The world turned a little fuzzy and Tetsuko felt the irritation of her bullet wound dull with her senses.

"Hey! Don't drink in front of me! I'm driving!" He was so weird. Antonio would drink until kingdom come, but he wouldn't do it while driving. _I suppose that a good thing, otherwise we'd probably be dead right now because he's a crappy driver. _Tetsuko chuckled.

"Then get to where we're going fast so you can drink with me!" She finished off the bottle she had as Antonio left the parking lot and decided to hold off on the beer. He pulled out onto the street and made his way further into the Silver Stage. "You really need to clean out this truck, 'Tonio. It's a pigsty."

"It's probably cleaner than you room!" He laughed back.

"You're right. The only difference is that I get rid of my liquor bottles before my kaa-san catches me. If we get pulled over you're going to get sent to jail."

"You'll end up at the station too, 'Suko. Underage drinking is against the law." The bull-man pointed to the empty bottle in her hand.

"At least we'll go down together, right?"

"Just like always." The pair was silent for a few minutes, the Spanish music flowing from Antonio's speakers doing all the talking for once.

"School really sucks without you." Tetsuko admitted. "It's not really fun to sneak in by myself and since everyone else graduated already, nobody but the guys from work talk to me. Except Bunny, but he usually just gets on my case about my 'bad behavior' and nags me about our P.R. appointments."

"How's that going? He seemed like an okay guy." Tetsuko snorted.

"Yeah, but he's got a major stick up his butt and an ego about the size of the sun." Her hands started doing half the talking as she continued harping on the brat. "I mean, seriously, he's an ass and always thinks he's right, he's rude and pushy and bossy and completely irritating and he frustrates the hell out of me and is so in tune with his little girl inside that I'm surprised he's not like Nathan. He uses more hair products than me and _I'm _a girl!" Tetsuko ranted until she had to take a breath.

"But then again, you never were much for appearances. Remember that one time you showed up to school in your pajamas and the office had to give you a uniform that was three sizes to big? I thought you were going to lose your drawers every time you stood up!" They both burst out laughing.

"Yeah and Petrov almost had a field day when the shirt kept slipping off my shoulders and I almost kept flashing the student body!"

"Ha! And remember that time we both styled our hair into Mohawks and used all of your mom's hairspray? Petrov followed me into the bathroom to wash it out in the sink! He's so freaking creepy, especially when he's staring at you through a mirror with your head in the sink!"

"He sent on of his girl goons into the bathroom with me too! And then she chatted my ear off about the latest diet I should try the whole time! When I flipped my wet hair up, I sprayed her entire uniform. She looked about ready to murder me and I said, 'Oh sorry! I thought wet T-shirts were supposed to accentuate your good qualities, but it looks like you don't have any!' She sent me to the office for verbal harassment!"

"I remember that! And then you had to serve detention for a week!" Antonio snickered at Tetsuko's pouting face.

"Yeah and I had to be a guinea pig for Dr. Saito's little experiments! His lab was working on a robotic glove that sent some sort of electric shock into the nervous system and it kept shorting out! I had a serious case of frizz hair after that and I couldn't stop twitching!" She shook her head, "I don't think he was supposed to be doing that anyway." Antonio clapped her on the shoulder as he pulled into the Bronze Stage. They pulled up old memories and stunts they got in trouble for and Tetsuko noticed she'd been missing the talks they had more than she'd realized. Being with Antonio felt like all the times the three of them got together. Laughing, studying, and getting in trouble. Tomoe, Antonio and Tetsuko were practically synonyms when they were in middle school. The first year of high school was awesome as well, before Tomoe got sick. Then everything went downhill. Tetsuko got in more fights, her grades and Antonio's started slipping down the drain and then Tomoe ended up in the hospital. Tetsuko let her best friend's voice fade away as she was pulled into her memories.

_It was sunny the day that Tomoe died. He was sitting up his bed, confined to the hospital when his condition worsened. The cancer was killing him and Tetsuko spent as much time with her boyfriend as possible. They both knew he was dying, but neither of them brought it up, they just joked and talked for hours about silly things and what Tetsuko had done on the days she visited. They had so little time left. She'd brought flowers for him on her last visit, snap dragons today, in bright pinks and yellows. The girl smoothed out her green blouse and black slacks, wanting to look her best for the man she loved with all her heart. She put a spring in her step as she neared his room, hiding the dread that followed her everywhere in one of her smiles. _

_"Tomoe, I'm here!" She opened the door and set the flowers in the vase that the hospital staff always had waiting for her. Tomoe's dark eyes were tired and his short dark hair looked stringy and washed out, but today he managed to pin up the long sections of hair that framed either side of the boy's face. Usually he just let them hang in his eyes. His skin was gaunt and stretched out all over his thin body and as pale as the sheets he was resting under, but Tomoe managed to smile at his cheerful girlfriend. _

_"Hi, 'Suko. How was your day?" His voice was weak and he coughed a couple of times after he spoke. Tetsuko sat down in the visitor's chair, dropped her school bag on the ground and took off her newsboy cap. Her boyfriend's attire today consisted of teal hospital scrubs and the pink jacket that Tetsuko left here one time. She'd let Tomoe have it after he said that he'd get cold in the night and it was nice to know the jacket got some use. He also said it smelled like her, it calmed the boy down when he woke up from the pain of his sickness. _

_"Fine, I guess. I didn't get carded today, thank God. I swear they're just singling me out lately just for fun." Tetsuko twisted her cap in her hands, heartbroken at the condition of her boyfriend. She's tried so hard to take care of him, but nothing she did worked and even professionals hadn't helped. She didn't know what to do. It was like taking a test you'd studied for and then as soon as you're staring at the paper in front of you, everything you know just disappears. She didn't have any of the answers to make this better and that's what hurt the most. Tetsuko couldn't help the one person she really wanted to be a hero for. _

_"They have good reason too, you know. You're a loose cannon, Tetsuko." The boy smiled softly._

_"So says the class rep. I like to call it flamboyantly active." The girl smiled back._

_"Either that or carelessly destructive."_

_"Hey!" That got a laugh out of Tomoe. Tetsuko scooted close and took his trembling hand. She felt the need to anchor the thin boy to the ground. Holding it in between her brown ones, the girl told Tomoe everything she could possibility think of that Tomoe missed at school today. He laughed as the girl related the story about how Antonio split his pants in gym trying to impress a girl and how Tetsuko completely kicked her shoe off playing soccer and hit the gym teacher in the face. _

_"So," Tetsuko gazed at Tomoe with concern when there was a lull in the conversation, "how are you today, Tomoe?"_

_"Well," The boy started, "I don't feel any worse, but I don't feel better at all. The doctor's are trying to stabilized my condition so that they can formulate a treatment for the next stage. Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary has gone on around here. Did you grab my homework for me?"_

_"You're always the responsible one, aren't you?" Tetsuko reached for her bag and produced Tomoe's homework from today. Handing the paperwork to him delicately, Tetsuko squeezed his hand. _

_"One of us has to be and it's certainly not going to be you."_

_"Funny, Muramasa told me that one once."_

_"He's right you know."_

_"Shut up. I can be responsible if I have to be."_

_"Try it sometime. I'll laugh at you when you fail."_

_"Give me some credit!" Tomoe snickered at her outrage._

_"I do, just not in responsibility." The sun was beginning to go down. They'd been talking for hours. _

_" Ben's got me working a late shift tonight, and I couldn't get it off so I have to go soon." Tetsuko didn't want to leave, not for a second. "But I don't want to leave you all alone."_

_"You won't be and I know how much you love your job. Go help people." Tomoe took her left hand in both his and twisted the promise ring on her finger. He wore a matching one on his left hand as well. "Promise me, dear, that you will never stop helping others. That's one of your best qualities: your gigantic heart."_

_"I promise Tomoe." They leaned in for a few soft kisses, delicate and gentle before the girl had to leave to make it to the bar on time. She blew Tomoe a kiss as she left. "I love you, Tomoe."_

_"I love you too, Tetsuko."_

_"I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"_

_"Sure thing." The look in Tomoe's eye couldn't have been sadder as she left. Later that night, Tetsuko got a call from the hospital telling her that Tomoe had died shortly after she'd left. The girl rushed the hospital and flung open the doors in the morgue and collapsed on her boyfriend's covered body, sobbing. The loss of Tomoe tore Tetsuko apart. She didn't leave her room for days and was constantly drinking behind everyone's back. Antonio had to finally slap some sense into her before she killed herself. From then on, Tetsuko faked her way through the days, living for the sole promise of helping those whom she could. _

"Hey, Tetsuko!" Antonio's voice right in her ear yanked the girl out of her memories.

"What?" She looked at the Spaniard; they'd already made it to the man-made reservoir that the trio loved to skinny dip in.

"You seriously tuned me out for like ten minutes, girl. What were you doing in your head?"

"Nothing," Tetsuko shrugged, not wanting to drag up bad memories, "Just getting lost for a minute. It's been a long day." She opened her door and hopped out, shoving a few beer bottles and cans into her school bag. "Come on, 'Tonio."

Tetsuko made her way up to their usual sitting spot, a hill with a single tree planted at the top. The spot overlooked the small lake and was perfect for trying to pick out the few stars that Sternbild didn't obscure. She flopped down on the grass once she reached the top and popped open another can of beer. Downing the drink in a matter of seconds, Antonio soon joined her as they drained his entire stash of booze down their gullets.

"It's really stuuuuipd that they built this reservoir in the middle of a city, don't ya think?" Tetsuko asked six cans later. "It takes up so much damn space and we don't need it for water supply anymore."

"You always, hic, point that out when we come here." Antonio was only on his fourth but he could almost drink as much as Tetsuko.

"Oh." The girl finished off her drink and reached for another. Antonio snagged it from her hands.

"Oh no, you don't. That one's mine!"

"Give it back, you bastard! I had it first!" She ground tackled the bull-man and leaned over him to grab at the beer he held just out of her reach.

"You've had more than me! I need to catch up!"

"But you're driving!" She straddled his stomach, making her arm's length almost equal to Antonio's.

"It doesn't matter at this point! We're both sloshed!" Tetsuko leaned over too far and they both went tumbling down the hill, the beer can lost in the darkness. When they stopped rolling, Tetsuko ended up staring up at the sky with Antonio sprawled on top of her. She stared at the stars she could see in the September sky and wished Tomoe were still here. He'd love the clear view tonight. No clouds, the smog had dissipated for a while and the moon was bright and full. _Keep me out of trouble Tomoe. Or as much trouble as possible. And keep me from killing Antonio and Bunny. I have a feeling I'm going to need all the help I can get to keep surviving. Because that's what you told me life was, remember? Surviving the best we can with what we got. _

Antonio drove her home, and the girl stumbled up to her room somewhat awake. Her kaa-san had waited up for her and started a bath for the girl as Tetsuko reheated dinner. She then relaxed in the tub, staring at the ceiling or her ugly bullet wound. _Another scar, _she thought. Her whole body was covered in them; light little nicks and marks that no one would notice unless they looked at them in the right light. _Every one worth it because I helped someone. _Tetsuko got out of the bath and half dried her hair before going to study. _Tonight's going to be a long night. _The brunette cracked open her books and left the light on deep into the night.

T & B

Friday mornings were typically noisier than regular weekdays and Barnaby decided it was because the weekend was coming up. He was out in the school yard in the brisk October air, wearing his signature red jacket and keeping the noise to a minimum like he always did with his fellow hall monitors. That's when disaster blew in.

A roaring of an engine from the street momentarily halted all the talk within earshot. A motorcycle zoomed down the street in a green and white blur. The boxy bike had wide-holed wheels and a bulky front end. The black leather seat held the black helmeted driver and when Barnaby spotted her leaning forward in the motion of the bike he thought, _damn she's hot. _Then he noticed the model of the bike. _Oh, no. That's a Chaser. Please tell me it's not her. _He watched in apprehension as the biker pulled into the parking spot next to his own Chaser in the area blocked off for cyclists. Switching off the engine, the driver sat up straight in her seat. She wore Nathan-tight, black leather skinny jeans, a lime green leather jacket with a black tiger detailed on the back and tall, black stiletto boots. She took off her black visor helmet and shook out her spiky brown hair. _It is. _Kaburagi grabbed her school bag from the holding rack attached to the bike and placed her helmet there instead, strapping it in quickly. She dismounted with a graceful swing of her leg and then walked toward the school building.

To Barnaby it was like the world moved in slow motion. Her hair flowed around her shoulders and shined in the morning sun. The click of her boots was louder than the sounds of the city and her eyes glittered with rebel pride. She flashed Barnaby a triumphant smile as she moved towards him, hips swaying sensually with her gait. The jacket she wore accentuated her slim waist and opened in her signature style to expose a ton of her cleavage and the black V-neck underneath. Barnaby just about let his jaw his hit the ground when Nathan Seymour broke the spell.

"Oh, balls! Girl, where did you get those pants?" The black man ran to the Japanese girl and started bombarding her with questions about her outfit. The school burst into gossip and conversation as everything returned to normal. But to Barnaby, nothing was normal anymore. The single act of Tetsuko owning a Chaser clashed with everything she represented to him. She didn't own the latest and greatest stuff and she certainly didn't come off as "cool" in any other context. Goofy, yes. Cool, no. and she certainly shouldn't have the effect to stop the blond in his tracks just by pulling up into the parking lot to come to school. His heart was still beating wildly in his chest, his breath coming up short. No, Tetsuko Kaburagi was an older woman with an awesome bike. Nothing more. And Barnaby was definitely _not_ crushing on her. The couple walking towards him was joined by Karina who wanted to know how in the hell she could afford a bike like the Chaser and Ian hovered behind the group explaining the significance of the tiger on the brunette's jacket. To that Kaburagi replied, "I just like tigers, Ivan!" When the group reached a completely composed Barnaby, Kaburagi gave him one of her goofy smiles and struck up a conversation.

"Hey, Bunny! Check it out! I finally bought the bike!" She patted his shoulder, "Looks like I won't need that side care anymore, eh?" She laughed.

"Yes, you won't but now you've added to my list of things I have to watch out for." He went for mildly ticked-off this time instead off full grown irritated.

"Eh? What's that?"

"I have to watch out for vandalism on your bike as well now, and I have to make sure you're not drag racing on school property." He pushed his glasses up his nose and glared at the girl authoritatively.

"Aw, come on give me some credit! I bought this bike with my own hard earned cash! I'm going to be responsible with it."

"I give you credit for showboating and unnecessary destruction of property but not in responsibility." Barnaby stated. He was surprised when Tetsuko gave him a look that bordered on confusion and sadness. "What?"

"Nothing!" She smiled brightly and walked off suddenly. Barnaby watched her retreating back and shrugged. He didn't understand her one bit.

For a Casual Friday, Barnaby didn't have to card as many students as he usually did; Kaburagi wasn't even close to being carded today which was a miracle. Nathan made a pass at him in the hallway, his theme a deep orange today with Halloween themed accessories. He wore black pants that weren't quite as tight as Kaburagi's, orange heeled boots and an orange jacket that hugged every line on his body. His pink hair had orange accents in it that messed with Barnaby's eyes. He avoided the black painted nails with an air of practice and kept walking to his next class while Seymour whined in disappointment.

Lunch had to be held inside when it started raining outside; much to the disappointment of all the students, and Barnaby took a seat in the corner of the cafeteria. Many of the girls stopped by his table to have a friendly chat with him, but no one stayed for long, heading off to their own cliques after a few minutes. Barnaby was resigned to eat his salad in peace when the click of boots alerted him to a visitor. He lifted his head and prepared to have another meaningless conversation when the girl walking towards him hugged him from behind. He cringed at the contact and was about to ask them to politely _get off _when the student spoke.

"So, Bunny," Kaburagi hooked her head over his shoulder and he knew it was futile to have her move until she did it on her own. Fortunately, she quickly moved to sit in the seat next to him, plopping her bag carelessly on the table. "Whatcha doing for Halloween?"

"Nothing much. I'm staying home." He poked at his salad, popping a bite into his mouth once he found the carrot he was looking for.

"I heard that day is your birthday," she sung her way through the sentence.

"How did you find that out?" Barnaby questioned, slightly nervous. He didn't really disclose any of his personal information to anyone.

"Your fan club. Apparently they stalk you and get into private school documents so they can stalk you some more."

"Tell me who did it! They shouldn't be getting into school files without permission from the administration!" Barnaby's hall monitor mode kicked in.

"You're more concerned about the papers than stalkers? Wow, I'm not surprised, actually." Kaburagi swiped a cucumber off his plate and tossed it into her mouth. "Seriously, I think you like having stalkers." She leaned back in her chair and pulled out her own lunch, the ever present fried rice.

"I don't enjoy the stalkers, there's just really no way to stop them." Barnaby poked Tetsuko with his fork when she reached for another piece of his salad.

"Ouch!" She rubbed her hand and glared at the boy.

"Eat your own fattening food."

"You're not going to let that go are you? Just because I don't starve myself doesn't mean I'm fat!" Kaburagi grabbed her fried rice and ate a bite moodily. Barnaby gave the food a glare of contempt.

"Is that good cold?"

"I don't eat it cold, the lunch ladies let me use their microwave every once in a while, which happens to be every day. They don't even notice me back there anymore."

"How fascinating, you can be stealthy." Barnaby crunched a bite of lettuce after his sarcastic sentence.

"I am sneaky; you just don't see any of it." She waggled her eyebrows at him. "I know this school better than you know the back of your arm."

"Hand."

"Whatever."

"I seriously doubt that you can make it into the school grounds without being seen. You're too loud and obnoxious." Barnaby tapped his fork on his plate, intrigued to see if Kaburagi would spill any of her secrets.

"I know for a fact that you personally have missed me almost two dozen times in the morning. You need to get your glasses checked, Bunny." Before he could reply, Tetsuko's posse decided to make their appearance.

"Honey, where have you been? We were looking all over the cafeteria for you and here we find you chatting up Handsome!" Nathan sat down next to Barnaby, Karina took the seat next to Tetsuko and Ivan slid in next to her, almost filling up all the seats at the round table.

"I had to confirm Bunny's birthday!"

"Ooo! It's your birthday? When?" Nathan clapped his hands together in excitement.

"The thirty-first," Kaburagi announced, clearly proud she was one of the first to know.

"That's Halloween!" Nathan deduced.

"Thanks for pointing that out, drag queen." Karina rolled her eyes at the black guy. "How old are you going to be tomorrow?"

"Seventeen."

"Oh, it's Mr. Barnaby's birthday tomorrow? Congratulations! And again, congratulations!" Keith took the seat on the other side of Nathan as he joined the group.

"Ha! I knew I was only two years older than you!" Tetsuko did a little dance in her chair.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Barnaby asked, puzzled.

"You keep calling me old." She said that like it explained everything.

"And?"

"And, I knew I could only be about two years older than you because you're a junior." She took another bite of her fried rice and hummed happily. "It means I'm not as old as you think I am."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Barnaby pointed to the rice on her cheek. She wiped off her face and stuck her tongue out at the blond. The group talked and ate for the rest of the lunch period at Barnaby's table. _Is this what it's like to have friends? Not that I need friends, it's just kind of nice. Once in a while. _Barnaby had never been good at making friends. He was always the loner in any school he attended and he was fine with that. He had more important things to deal with. The bell rang and with a goodbye butt-pinch Nathan spirited away to his next class with Keith while Karina dragged Ivan to choir with her. Kaburagi got up and brushed off her pants. They showed every curve of her legs as she walked away. She waved to the boy telling Barnaby that she'd race him after school if he wanted too. He called out something about no drag racing on school property before she disappeared into the hallway.

They were only ten minutes into the next class period when the PA announced that all school officers and custodians needed to report to the chemistry lab. Barnaby had a feeling that something terrible had happened. He was right. Barnaby hadn't seen such a colossal mess before. The chemistry lab was a field of glass and chemicals that had been knocked out of their beakers and storage units. There were scorch marks from tipped over Bunsen burners and all the tables and chairs were haphazardly thrown all over the place.

"Old lady, what did you do?" Barnaby asked, his voice a mix of murderous and pure loathing as he turned to the Japanese girl standing in the corner. Kaburagi had ditched her jacket and wore her black V-neck shirt that looked slightly scorched.

"Okay so this time it was kind of my fault but kind of someone else's fault at the same time." She sheepishly explained that while picking up the materials for an experiment, one of the other students had left their bag in the walkway instead of storing it in the lockers like they were supposed to. Kaburagi had tripped and dropped all her equipment and crashed into another rack holding beakers and test tubes _and_ accidently knocked over a Bunsen burner that started a small fire. The students had panicked and fled the room in a stampede that basically destroyed the rest of the lab. "At least we got the fire put out before the alarm went off." She amended, like that would make the situation any better. She'd been the only student to stay and help the teacher put out the small fire, clearly showing chivalry and stupidity in their finest qualities. Barnaby got called out into the hall by Yuri Petrov, leaving Kaburagi to stare at the mess she made. The captain of the hall monitors pulled him aside and whispered in his ear with the low voice that made Barnaby very uncomfortable.

"We can't let her off on this one. Kaburagi will pay damages along with the other student."

"But, if what she says is true, then it was purely an accident." Barnaby argued, standing up for the girl.

"So the school should have to deal with all the fines and replace all the equipment, leaving the students blameless?"

"No, but-"

"Both students will pay damages, Brooks. I expected your respectability to rub off on Kaburagi when the administration paired you together, but obviously you can't handle her." Petrov fixed him with a stare that prickled Barnaby's pride. "I'm also disappointed that she's not following your example." The captain walked away, probably to find the administration as Barnaby growled, frustrated at being talked down to. He noticed that there were noises coming from inside the lab. He peeked in and couldn't see the girl until she stood up swearing. She had a broom in one of her hands and was sucking blood off another, cut by glass. He watched her clean for a few more minutes, getting his frustration under control before heading back in.

"You realized that this'll reflect badly on the school and the administration, correct."

"Yes, but at least nobody got hurt." She shoved a dustpan full of glass into the garbage can, once again excluding herself from the list of the wounded.

"True but this shouldn't happen in the first place! And now you have damages to pay for again!" Barnaby was about ready to lose it with the girl, his anger getting the better of him.

"It was an accident! Accidents happen! Not everything can be planned out like you want it to be!" Tetsuko started yelling at him as he yelled at her. They were alone for the moment, but soon the chemistry teacher and other personnel would be coming back to help clean up. "You think you understand everything, Bunny, but you just don't, you asshole!" She threw her broom down and grabbed her jacket off the chair she'd thrown it on and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm not going to sit here and let you lecture me on my mistakes when I know I messed up!" She then ran toward the windows instead of the door like Barnaby expected her to.

"Old lady, don't!" She leapt out the windows that were propped open to let the room air. Barnaby saw her leg almost give out as her feet left the windowsill and she reached for the tree near the side of the wall. She grabbed a branch about halfway up the tree and swung down to the ground. She landed heavily on her right leg and it slightly collapsed under her weight, but she got up and ran towards the parking lot as Barnaby leaned out of the window to watch her. She raced out of the lot a few minutes later on her bike, flipping him off as she drove out of sight. As Barnaby was hanging out the window, Principal Maverick and the chemistry teacher came into the room, accompanied by a couple of custodians and Dr. Saito who wanted to check the fire alarm system.

"Wow! This place looks significantly better than when I left it." The chemistry teacher pointed out that Tetsuko had stored all the unbroken equipment in the cabinets and swept up all the glass that had spilled on the floor. Barnaby helped in the rest of the clean up as their fight echoed in his mind. Tetsuko had brushed off all this damage like it was nothing, the more he thought about it, the angrier Barnaby got. He fumed the rest of the school day, he was cross all through work (though he hid it from everyone) and was grateful that it was Kaburagi's day off or else he probably would've strangled her for no reason. He was vexed all the way home and couldn't calm down enough to sleep and frankly by that point he'd almost forgotten why he was mad in the first place.

Tossing and turning in his bed, images of his past haunted his dreams and awake, his frustration kept him from finding any peace enough to get back to sleep. Insomnia wasn't something new to Barnaby and he resorted to his usual late night activity: researching. Barnaby got out of bed and threw on a white tank over his sculpted torso and straightened his red pajama bottoms. He grabbed a glass of milk from the fridge and sat down in his single chair, flipping on the wall T.V. for background noise. Opening of his laptop, Barnaby let the light from the screen illuminate the years and years of effort he put into his search for his parent's murderer. All he had for years was a symbol of a snake swallowing its own tail and eventually he got a name: Ouroboros. Nothing else had come up for months now but Barnaby began surfing the web anyway and whittled away the hours of the night until he passed out from exhaustion.

His body woke him up at six 'o'clock on his birthday, and as usual, he began his morning routine of showering and meticulously curing his hair to perfection. He didn't have school today and settled into a nice day of relaxing. He spent most of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon reading and doing homework. His old housekeeper, Samantha, sent him a cake for his birthday and he called to thank her. They talked for a while, reliving happy memories. Barnaby hung up in a much happier mood and took a nap, expecting to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in peace and quiet. That was until he got a text from a number he didn't recognize a few hours later.

Unknown: Barnaby, its Antonio. Has Tetsuko talked to you at all?

Barnaby: How did you get this number?

Unknown: Tetsuko gave it to me a while ago. Never thought I'd have to use it. I haven't heard from her at all since yesterday. Nathan told me you two had a fight. What happened?

Barnaby: She basically trashed the chemistry lab when she tripped over another student's bag. Has to pay damages and we got into a fight.

Unknown: Did the fire alarm go off or something?

Barnaby: No.

Unknown: Then it's still not as bad as the time we set off the fire alarm by setting our oven on fire in cooking class.

Barnaby: She did that too? What hasn't she broken?

Unknown: The sewing room. She won't set foot in there.

Barnaby: Fantastic.

Unknown: So she hasn't talked to you at all?

Barnaby: No.

Unknown: Oh, well. Thought I'd check. Bye.

Barnaby stored the number in his phone under "Antonio Lopez" and decided that Tetsuko needed to stay out of his things. He was going to put pass codes on every piece of technology he owned. Disturbed by his diminishing privacy, he sat down in his lone chair to think, only to stand up again when his doorbell rang. He glanced out the window and saw the sun was hanging low in the sky. _Where did the time go? _He sighed and threw on a jacket over his casual clothes and went to answer the door. He peeked through the eye hole and was shocked at who was outside the door. _Kaburagi? Speak of the devil, this day is just full of surprises. _He unlocked the door and opened to yet another surprise.

"Kaburagi, what are you wearing?" She was standing in the doorway wearing a cheap knock off of Barnaby's jacket, camouflage daisy dukes and tall, laced up, red boots. Her hair had been curled and dyed in Barnaby's style, professionally by the looks of it, and she managed to get duplicates of his glasses as well.

"It's Halloween! This is my costume." She turned around for him to view her at every angle. Barnaby appreciated it, completely forgetting they were supposed to be fighting. She looked good in long pants, but Barnaby decided that nothing looked better than Tetsuko showcasing her endless legs in the shortest shorts possible.

"I'd thought you'd go as a hero, since you love to do that kind of stuff."

"I've been Mr. Legend for the last six years so this year I'd thought I'd go as something scary."

"Scary? And that's what you chose?" He eyed her costume again, trying to figure out if she was joking or being serious.

"Yep! There's nothing scarier than you! Especially after what I saw yesterday."

"Yesterday I was really angry at you, old lady, but I'm not scary, I'm just professional."

"Professionally scary."

"Where'd you get the boots?"

"Nathan let me borrow them. He's got more boots than a shoe factory. He let me borrow them, but I have to be careful in them."

"You? Careful?"

"Hey, it can happen," she shrugged and scuffed her shoes against the carpet of the hallway.

"And where'd you get those glasses?" He pointed at the fakes hanging off the end of her nose.

"You keep a spare pair in your backpack." She winked at him, "I can't look directly in them or else I get a headache! You're so blind!"

"So that's where they went! You little thief! How did you even get them out?"

"While you were fussing over your headphones the other day. Now are you going to let me in?" She peeked over his shoulder to get a view of his apartment.

"No. How did you even get up here?" He crossed his arms and blocked the door even further.

"Your apartment's doorman let me up. I told him I came to wish you a happy birthday, one student to another." She shoved past Barnaby and slipped inside his house, despite his best efforts to keep her out. "Man! You've got, like, nothing in here!" She dropped a bag on the ground and spun to look around. "You seriously have one chair? What if you have company over? Where do they sit?"

"I don't usually have company over." Barnaby shut the door and watched the first girl who'd ever been in his house.

"You're private life must be boring then."

"I think its fine. Why are you here exactly?" Barnaby wanted her to get to the point so she could get her blonde head out of here. It was kind of freaking him out.

"I came to change your private life! We're going Trick or Treating!" Kaburagi chucked the bag she'd brought with her into his arms. He caught it easily.

"Really? Me and what costume? Besides isn't Trick or Treating for little kids? I haven't been since I was second grade."

"Seriously? I'm in high school and I still go Trick or Treating! If you just sneak up behind a group of kids so it looks like you're chaperoning them and the adults give you candy anyway. You're missing out." She pointed to the bag, "And your costume is in there, I hope you like it." Barnaby peeked inside as Tetsuko continued talking, "I tried to pick something that matched your personality but I was having a hard time trying to find something more sophisticated than a devil with a pitchfork, but this is the next best thing, I think." Barnaby pulled out a black cape, a frilly dress shirt and a pair of fangs.

"A vampire? How does that match my personality?" There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that Barnaby was putting the costume on. "I don't suck blood in any way, shape or form."

"Well, you don't suck blood, but you're a fun-sucker. A stick in the ground."

"Mud." He corrected for the millionth time. _Can't she get any idioms right? _

"Whatever, just go put it on."

"No."

"Come on! I didn't even get the cheap plastic fangs since you're such a clean freak! They're stick-ons!" She opened her mouth and pointed to her canines, smiling pleadingly. Barnaby just stared back at her. "We get free candy! Free candy!" He said nothing. "Don't make me do a strip tease! I can't mess up my hair!" She pulled his signature hair flip, probably memorized from seeing him do it so much.

"Go ahead. Start teasing." Barnaby half expected her to do it, she really wanted him to be a vampire.

"Bunny, you're a bitch, you know that?"

"I am not."

"Put the damn cape on or I'm telling everyone at school that you play with toys still." _How did she notice my robot? _Barnaby had put that gift from his parents on the table next to his laptop in full view but Tetsuko had been facing him the entire time.

"Fine, I'll put it on only if you get rid of the blonde hair after tonight. It doesn't look good on you." Barnaby gathered up all the pieces of his costume and walked over to his bedroom.

"Funny, the hair stylist told me that too. It's a good thing Nathan paid for the appointment then. He's also paying for the one that gives me my natural color back."

"Why exactly?" Barnaby called from the other side of his closed door. He peeled off his casual wear and slipped into the black dress pants and buttoned up the pirate-like dress shirt.

"I sent him some black-mail pictures of Antonio in a Speedo when we went swimming a park pond the other day. It'll be the last time we do that for a while. Damn, that water was cold! Trespassing seems to be a bit of a hobby for us." The girl got off track for a moment before coming to the point. "Nathan was so grateful he agreed to pay to get my hair dyed and then dyed it back on Monday."

"I say he wasted his money."

"He thought I was worth it. And I'm happy to be the provider of wet dreams if it means I can embarrass you in public." Barnaby didn't have a response; he just put on his red boots (the real ones) and tied on the black, high-collared cape. All he needed was the fangs now. Opening the packaging he noticed there were two pairs of fangs instead of just one, bottoms and tops. He dried his teeth with his finger and went over to a mirror to apply the fake teeth. Once satisfied the fangs were straight, he smiled in the mirror and liked the effect they brought out. They made him look threatening. He cracked the door, looking for where Tetsuko was. She was standing on the short stairs that surrounded his chair, back to him and looking around. He flipped off all the lights and dimmed the window from the control panel next to his bedroom door, leaving the entire apartment in darkness. Tetsuko yelped and spun around, trying to orient herself. Barnaby's eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, one of the pros to having indirect lighting, and crept silently towards the girl.

"Bunny, cut it out! I'm going to trip and break something and you'll get mad at me for it if you don't turn on the lights right now." He'd almost reached the girl as she took a step blindly in the direction of the table. Barnaby grabbed her by the waist, pinning her arms to her body and reached his other hand to tip her head back and bare her neck. She shrieked and struggled against him, but he didn't let her get away. Just like a real vampire he moved his head to bite her neck and whispered seductively, "I'm going to suck your blood," and poked his fake fangs into her skin. She laughed as he tickled her neck with his hair.

"Bunny, you creeper! Let me go!" She spun out of his arms and promptly fell over, tripping over her heels. Barnaby walked over to the light switch and flipped on the lights again. Tetsuko was sprawled on the ground trying to get her hair to part the right way.

"Here, let me, since you're so incompetent with hair." Barnaby kneeled down and fixed her hair for the temporary-blonde and then yanked her up.

"I'm not incompetent, just inexperienced." She pulled down her shorts that had ridden up her butt in the fall and grabbed Barnaby's hand. "Don't forget your keys. I'm not driving you anywhere. I provided the costume and the pillowcases so you have to drive yourself." Barnaby did has he was told and locked his apartment behind him.

They raced around the Gold and Silver Stages on their Chasers, reliving the thrill of their first ride together as they dashed in and out of traffic leaving pink and green blurs all over the city. Racing each other was almost as fun as tailing groups of children to join. Each group had a variety of costumes including princesses, astronauts, superheroes, ballerinas, cowboys, dinosaurs and a ton of others. They rode up and down elevators in apartment complexes, gathering their spoils from amused adults until their pillowcases were full to bursting. Tetsuko was always in the front of the group, smiling and yelling, "Trick or Treat!" Barnaby hadn't had this much fun on Halloween for years. After one particularly successful apartment complex, Kaburagi-Barnaby turned to the real Barnaby and smiled at him.

"What?"

"You're a pro now. I haven't gotten this much candy from Trick or Treating ever. It's nice going with someone your age, for once. Muramasa quit coming with me a few years ago, chose to run our dad's liquor shop instead of bumming with me." She twirled around again and headed to where their bikes were parked. "We've got one more stop!" Barnaby check his phone, it was almost eleven at night.

"One more? Haven't we done enough damage for one night?" Barnaby didn't feel like quitting early, but he felt like he had to be the responsible one.

"No! We have to stop at Hero's Bar! Ben always gives out king-sized candy bars to Trick or Treaters and he promised he'd save me some. Last stop, I swear." Barnaby shook his head as she clasped her hands, begging by her bike. He swung his leg over his own bike and revved the engine.

"Fine, but this is the last one." Tetsuko jumped into the air.

"Yay!" She mounted her bike and started her engine. "Race ya! Last one there has to give up their caramel apple from that Gold Stage family." She flipped her motorcycle around and Barnaby followed suit.

"There's no way I'm giving that up so prepare to lose, old lady!" They pulled up to a red traffic light, waiting for it to turn green so they could race. Barnaby felt the tension in the air like the smog of the city.

"You'll eat this old lady's dust, grasshopper!" The light changed and they gunned their bikes. Tetsuko put up quite the fight, weaving in and out of traffic like pro, but Barnaby had more practice and barely beat her to Hero's Bar. They squealed into the mostly empty parking lot, gasping for breath as Tetsuko nearly fell off her bike.

"Damn! I was so close!" She turned off her engine as Barnaby shut his off.

"I will always be better than you, old lady. Now hand over the apple." He held out his hand as the girl fished out his prize. He took the treat and stashed it in his own bag.

"Oh, well. I didn't need the sugar anyway." She sniggered as she walked up to the back door. It was unlocked, but the whole interior of the restaurant was black.

"Are you sure he's still here? Wouldn't he have left the lights on?" Barnaby felt around for a wall to steady himself as Tetsuko charged on ahead.

"I don't know, maybe he forgot I was coming for the chocolate." Barnaby heard her trip over something and swear very loudly. "Shit, I may have broken something. Oh! Found the switch!" Barnaby walked towards her voice and ended up right next to the girl when the lights flipped on.

"SURPRISE!" A chorus of voices nearly gave him a heart attack as Barnaby blinking in the restaurant's lights. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BARNABY!" The whole place was decked out in orange and black decorations and balloons, and the heroes Barnaby worked with were dressed in entirely different costumes tonight.

"Old lady, what did you do?" He couldn't believe they'd pulled together a surprise party for him.

"Well, I-" Kaburagi started.

"She felt really bad about what happened yesterday and wanted to make it up to you!" A witch waltzed up to Barnaby, clad in a black lace corset dress and an over the top pointy hat. Nathan's pink lipstick peeked out from said hat as he ran up to hug the birthday boy.

"It was her idea to throw you a surprise party, since you weren't doing anything else." Karina was dressed up as a cat girl, complete with black ears and a tail that matched her black dress. Barnaby pried Nathan off only to be assaulted by Keith.

"We thought it was fabulous! And again, fabulous!" Keith hugged Barnaby tightly, clad in Captain America red, white and blue. The shield he held in his hand poked the other blond in the back. He was glad when that hug was over.

"I told her she could use the place tonight, as long as she gave us enough time to get ready." Mr. Jackson was dressed up as Mr. Legend, apparently one of the reasons that Tetsuko decided to dress up as something else.

"So you were stalling?" Barnaby asked the other Barnaby.

"It wasn't just stalling! I really wanted the candy!" Tetsuko pointed out as a bull fighter tackled her from behind.

"We know that!" Antonio's hat kept falling off and he had to let go of his friend to fix it. His cape swished as he straightened up. "And yes, the texting was a front, Brooks. But you took forever getting here! Did you get caught in traffic?"

"More like they got caught by the police, you never know with Tigress." Pao-Lin skipped to the group in bright yellow spandex. She had red circles painted on her face and cute little ears to match her zigzagged tail.

"We did not!" The Japanese girl argued. "Nice Pikachu by the way."

"Thanks! It took me all yesterday to make it, but Ivan's is still better." The younger girl pointed to the corner where a very authentic-looking samurai hid.

"Thanks, but this is nothing. Anime convention goers are even better cosplayers than me." Ivan blushed at the attention and came closer, rattling his armor and ducking his head further into his helmet.

"Well, now that we've stood around for ten minutes talking, let's eat!" _She's never one to waste food, _Barnaby thought as Tetsuko led the way to the table where all the snacks were laid out. They'd even got him a cake. It was a cheesy Halloween themed disaster but it was still nice. Ben lit the candles before Kaburagi got a hold of the lighter and burned the place down. Then they all sang "Happy Birthday" to Baranby, very badly. Tetsuko's very loud "BUNNY" nearly drowned out all the "Barnabys." He scowled at her. She took a picture just to bug him. He blew out the candles, not knowing what to wish for, and then cut the cake for everyone.

"I wanted to get you a carrot cake, Bunny, but everyone else shot me down. You get white instead." Tetsuko said through a mouthful of cake.

"Good thing, I like white cake better," he replied, swallowing another bite before speaking.

"Present time!" Nathan sang a while later after everyone had finished eating their piece of cake, two in Tetsuko's case.

"You didn't have to get me anything, really."

"But what's a party without presents?" Pao-lin asked, sliding up to him.

"Point taken."

"Here you go!" Nathan presented the blond with a pumpkin-colored wrapped box with he opened calmly. Everyone's eyes were on him as opened the lid of the box. Everyone but Barnaby burst into laughter as he held up a pink rabbit plush.

"Whose idea was this?" He asked in his _I'm-not-amused_ voice, singling out Kaburagi.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" She held up her hands in defense, flashing a "Barnaby smile" at the blond.

"Keith, Ivan and I chipped in and bought it," Karina admitted, "but it is because Tetsuko calls you bunny."

"Damn you, old lady." Before Barnaby could strangle her, Pao-Lin swiped the plush out of his one hand and replaced it with a much smaller box. Inside he found a new plug-in cord to attach his headphones to his music player that Antonio, Pao-Lin and Nathan had jointly paid for.

"Tetsuko said your other one looked hammered, so we got an upgrade," Antonio explained as he shoved a sexy black witch away from him. Barnaby gave the blonde-turned brunette a doubtful glare. She shrugged at him.

"I told you I could be sneaky if I wanted to." Ben's gift to him was a bonus in his paycheck to get something he wanted. He expected that'd be all he was getting for his birthday when Tetsuko tapped him on the shoulder.

"Here." She blushed as she handed him a plain red envelope. "Happy Birthday, Bunny."

"It's Barnaby." He carefully opened the envelope and was genuinely surprised to find two tickets to the opera nestled inside a birthday card. The card had a generic birthday greeting but the blond turned his attention to the handwritten note at the bottom. _Sorry I'm such a screw up, but I'll try my best to make it up to you. Hope you had a Happy Birthday, Bunny. _She'd signedit "Old Lady Tetsuko."

"It's so you can take some lucky girl with you," Tetsuko slipped her hand behind her head and played with her dyed hair. "It's not until January, so you've got time."

"Thank you, that was very thoughtful." Barnaby smiled softly.

"Ooo! Take me!" Nathan called from where he was assaulting Antonio's tight bull-fighter pants.

"He's supposed to take a girl, you transvestite! You're not a girl!" Karina snapped at him.

"I am too!"

"No you're not!" The party digressed after that and was put to a halt when Kaburagi and Lopez started a game of tossing candy into each other's mouths and scattered food all over the floor. Even clean up fun as everyone got ready to go home. Barnaby walked around the room thanking everyone with his cape swishing behind him. He'd long since taken out the vampire fangs, but it was nice to have a little fun on Halloween. He packed up his gifts in the bag Kaburagi brought with her. She'd let him borrow it only if he returned it to her on Monday. Everyone left the bar in good spirits, especially Barnaby. Tetsuko gave him the "see ya" salute as she mounted her bike once again.

"Get your hair dyed back, old timer! I don't want you slandering my hair do!"

"If only that was possible, Bunny! Everyone would just think I'm obsessed with you!" She cackled at the ridiculous notion.

"You secretly are."

"You wish!" _I kind of do actually. You're the only one who's not obsessed with me. _She zipped away on her motorcycle telling Barnaby to enjoy the sugar and thank her later. _Thanks old lady, I had a wonderful time at your party. _

A/N: There you go! A bit of a breather, but still lovely in my opinion.

Shout out to Azkas19 for the Boob Grab scene! Thanks a ton!

P.S. And yes, they actually pulled off the surprise party this time, I was nice to the heroes.

P.P.S. remember, I love it when you comment. Makes me feel good inside.

More to come, so stay tuned for the next installment of High School Never Ends! See ya!


	5. We're All Lunatics

A/N: Bonjour Readers! It's another week and time for an update! You know, it's funny, but I don't feel like I'm writing more, but my word count for  
each chapter gets bigger and bigger every time I update. This one's almost as long as the last one and has more angst and action! Yay! Enjoy reading and remember: I don't own Tiger & Bunny, but if I had a million dollars I'd buy them! :3

Chapter Five: We're All Lunatics

"Did you hear about that vigilante that's killing criminals?" One girl asked another while they were in the bathroom. The gossip was all over the school. Tetsuko had heard it all multiple times. Apparently an arsonist had snuck into a prison complex in the city and burned three guys in their cell. Their names were Jack Brown, Bob Johnson and Tony Smith. They were busted for robbing a bank and the grand theft auto when they stole multiple cars on their run from the police. Then sometime in the week, this vigilante snuck into the prison and set their cell on fire. The blue flames burned for hours apparently. The incident scared the shit out of the city's population and the worst part was the senior class was taking a trip to the same prison to finish up their course of the basics of the justice system. Tetsuko had already been on this trip once already and only Keith and Nathan were coming along out of the people she really liked.

The girl sighed inaudibly and kept her feet on the toilet. She didn't want the girls knowing she was in the bathroom, especially with her looking like hell. Jake had cornered two of Tetsuko's underclassmen behind the school building to harass the students again and she had bailed them out, but got the crap beat out of her. This time there were only four other guys but they were more experienced than the last batch she'd fought last week. She still sent them packing with more bruises than an abacus could count, but she still felt like hell. The two girls finally left, completing one last touch up on their hair and walked out into the hall. It was the middle of the class period and Tetsuko didn't want to go back to class. She sat down on the toilet for a minute and wiped off the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes. She felt like hell, looked like shit and this whole business of criminal murders had her in an emotional mess. She hated when people got hurt, and even if you're a criminal, you're still a person and don't deserve to die such a horrible death as burning alive.

The girl emerged from her stall and took out her ever-present make-up case. Most people thought she didn't wear cosmetics, but they didn't see the careful mask of foundation that kept most of her imperfections and bruises a secret. The brunette sighed again and cracked open her mineral power and base. She spent the next ten minutes covering all her exposed skin until she looked pretty much perfect. Tetsuko even covered the cuts on her legs where the dickheads kicked her and split the skin. She poked her fingers into the corners of her mouth and yanked her lips into a smile when she was done. Satisfied that she looked normal, Tetsuko peeked into the hallway to make sure she was clear to sneak out of school. There was only one more class period, no point in staying. Besides, she felt like a long soak in the bathtub was over do. She took one step into the hallway and was confronted by one and a half extra inches of salon-worthy blonde hair.

"You got in a fight again." It was not a question, it was a statement and Bunny looked ticked.

"My god, Bunny! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Tetsuko placed her hand on her ample chest to catch her breath again.

"You got in a fight," he repeated. Bunny gave her his disapproving stare and crossed his arms.

Yeah, so what? They happen, who gives a shit?" Her mouth was running away with her again and she mentally slapped herself.

"The point is trying to stop the fight before it gets physical, you do realize that?"

"Yeah, I do," she stated sarcastically, "but it doesn't always work, especially when Jake Martinez is involved. He swings first, asks questions later, and is also a whack job if you haven't noticed." Tetsuko walked around the hall monitor and continued down the hall. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's already killed somebody, that's how messed up he is."

"You're limping," Bunny pointed out, following her.

"Well, then let me practice walking! It'll go away." She stopped when Bunny didn't leave. "What are you doing out of class, Mr. Perfect?"

"There was a disturbance outside and they sent me to check it out." Bunny eyed her knowingly. "All I found was some blood on the grass and a rumor that 'the hold back got in a fight again,' so I went to check all the bathrooms. Now I'm escorting you back to class, or you can go to detention with Dr. Saito after school instead of having your day off at work."

"No!" Tetsuko shivered as she thought of the short Japanese man with the balding head. He scared her more just out of the fact that he drew you in with his quite voice and then did unspeakable horrors to you in detention. With lots of electricity and weird gadgets. _Kind of sounds like a BDSM slash novel. _With fear compelling her to go back to class, the brunette sped up her pace, noticing her weak leg was getting used to the motion. "See," she glanced back at her classmate triumphantly, "the limp's gone."

"It doesn't matter that it's gone, you still go in _another fight_ on school grounds."

"Card me for it then."

"Maybe I will."

"Hey." Tetsuko laced her fingers behind her head and slowed down so she could walk next to the blond.

"What?"

"Did you hear about the guys who died in prison?"

"Yeah, what a shame. We almost had to suspend the field trip, but they got everything under control so the school decided to keep the date. It was murder going through all the paperwork."

"That's all you have to say?" Tetsuko was not pleased with the boy.

"What else is there to say? I can complain all I want about forms and files but they won't disappear if I do. And the fact that you'll probably stop listening to me doesn't help-"

"No, about the men. Don't you care?" Tetsuko's voice turned sad as she realized that Bunny didn't care like she did.

"They're criminals," he stated factually, "they're in prison for crimes against the state so if they die it's no loss to society."

"But they're people too! Every life is precious even if they've done some bad things! Why can't anyone see that?" Pissed off and completely worked up, Tetsuko ran to her next class, leaving a startled Bunny far behind her.

Tetsuko stewed about their conversation all that night and didn't feel any better in the morning. She felt off, and when she felt off she was clumsier, more verbally awkward and more prone to get into arguments than ever. The day was colder than usual when the bus pulled up to the prison, the mild winter of Sterbild beginning to set in, so most of the students were wearing coats and the girls also got to wear tights or leg warmers. Tetsuko walked with Keith and Nathan as the three of them exited the bus. Already bored with the whole thing, the girl turned her thoughts to the murders that had happened here just a week or so ago. The metaphorical dark cloud hovering over her head darkened and started pouring rain. Even Keith, King of All Things Happy, noticed her depressed mood and tried to cheer her up. The brunette pretended like it worked as the senior class passed through checkpoints and into the prison.

On the ground floor, the students were surrounded by guards and felons in their cells. They listened to a lecture by the warden and their government teacher. Tetsuko caught both Ms. Agnes and Mr. Lloyds gesturing for her to pay attention. _I'd rather staple packets with Principal Maverick's secretary all day. _That happened to be her alternative to the field trip if she got in big trouble: spending mind-numbing hours with the African-American woman doing paperwork. _I should've misbehaved more. _

The escorted tour continued into the cafeteria, another cell compound and then out into the yard. The brisk air whipped through skirts and pants as the seniors watched blue suited inmates exercise outside. Everyone looked as bored as the girl felt, except the ones who were scared shitless at being in a prison. There were always a few in every year. Tetsuko caught an underclassman trying to look up her skirt and elbowed him in the ribs when no one was looking. Some of the students were using their balled up gum wrappers and tossing them at their friend's faces. The brunette almost fell asleep on her feet when everything went to hell. She had one quick thought of, _why does this always happen to me, _before the girl leapt into action.

Something had been shot through the air, into the yard and hit an inmate who was reading on a set of bleachers. He burst into blue flames with a blood curdling scream and ran around trying to put out the blue flames. The class erupted into chaos and ran for the exit as the guards opened the gate to the yard to control the prisoners. Tetsuko slipped in with the guards, her overwhelming need to save the man taking over all rational thought. She burst out of the crowd, flung off her jacket and made it to the burning man before anyone else. She beat at the flames with her coat as the smell of scorched flesh reached her nose and nearly caused her to vomit. The man's howls of agony started to soften as he collapsed on the ground. Tetsuko beat harder and faster until the fire was out. She threw her jacket somewhere and pushed away the hands that were trying to grab her and knelt next to the dying man.

"Hey! Hey, come on! Come on, buddy. Stay with me! Please, stay with me!" She shook and called to the inmate but she already knew he was gone. _Not again. _She let the man's body fall from her trembling hands. Tears slipped from her eyes as the guards finally reached them and pulled her limp body away from the corpse. _Not again. _Mr. Lloyds and Ms. Agnes ran up and started yelling at her, but the girl had shut down, dead to the world. She slumped into the arms holding her up, eyes blank as she stared at her failure. _Not again. Not again. Why? Why? Why? _Her vision overlapped as two bodies came before her eyes: the charred one in her present and the sheeted one from her past. _Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again…_

_I failed._

"Did anyone see anything?" A man called out over the roar of the yard.

"Tetsuko Kaburagi you are in big trouble! Did you hear me?" Ms. Agnes harped in her ear.

"Young lady, whatever were you thinking?" Lloyds grabbed her shoulder roughly and shook her slightly.

"Did anyone see what happened?"

"I saw someone on top of that building before it happened!" An inmate pointed to another of the prison's complexes. Tetsuko came alive again with a fire of her own, one for justice. She surprised the adults by jumping up and sprinting towards the fence, not the gate. They chased her across the yard but she was fueled by a sort of madness that pushed her be faster than ever. When she reached the fence Tetsuko took a flying leap and grabbed onto the metal links and hung on as the fence shook around her. The brunette scaled the fence like a monkey, ignoring the bite of metal on her hands, and gracefully swung her legs over the top of the barb wired guard on the fence. She landed heavily on both feet and vaguely realized that she probably just shredded her skirt and thighs. Tetsuko ran intent on her goal and forced her way into the building as another guard opened the door.

She shoved him aside and searched for the stairs to the roof. Spotting them, the girl took off a breath later and climbed the stairs two at a time. Her footsteps echoed in the stairwell, mimicking her racing heart. She burst through the door and onto the roof, hungrily searching for the murderer. Nothing. Just gray skies above and gray stone below. She roared in frustration and dropped to her knees, feeling as defeated as the day she lost Tomoe. _I didn't want to lose anyone else, not if I could help them. I failed, Tomoe. I'm sorry. _She stared up at the gray sky until the grownups came to collect her, golden eyes glazed with pain that had nothing to do with her bleeding legs.

The adults let her off the hook after hours of cleaning and questioning. They called it a mild case of PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder, at seeing someone die a gruesome death right in front of her. They decided that it wasn't her fault that she acted recklessly, but Tetsuko knew she had acted recklessly while in a right state of mind. Now afterwards, she wasn't in her mind at all. She just slumped into the seat Mr. Lloyds sat her in and stared at her lap. She had to be driven to her house by someone else after the prison said she could go. Nathan and his driver were her ticket home and she wouldn't be fined for leaving her Chaser in the school parking lot overnight. Nathan's car was hotrod red and basically luxury on wheels but Tetsuko couldn't have cared less. She was once again staring blankly at her hands, reliving every crushing moment of the morning's disaster on loop. She couldn't get the inmate's screams out of her head or his charred face out of her eyes. She clenched her hands together tightly.

Nathan theorized about the perpetrator and how it had to be the same guy from last weeks. He'd been talking for twenty minutes as the elderly driver took Tetsuko home. She wasn't paying attention at all. Inwardly screaming, the girl felt like she needed to get out so she could erase the smell of burning skin from her nose. City pollution was the best option at the moment.

"Hey," she spoke up and halted Nathan in his third time ranting about the murders. "Can you let me out here?" There was a park nearby and the girl wanted to walk.

"Are you sure?" Nathan motioned to the driver to pull over. "We're not even close to you place." The black student reached over to take the girl's hand. He leaned over in the back seat to grasp her shoulder.

"Yeah." Tetsuko disengaged her friend and made to exit the car. "I need a breather." She got out and called thanks as she shut the door. Nathan rolled down the window as Tetsuko stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Need some company?"

"Huh?"

"A warm body to snuggle up with?" Nathan asked the girl sincerely, clearly concerned.

"Na, I'm not your type." She shrugged as began walking. "I don't have the package you want." Tetsuko waved and continued down the path. The red vehicle passed her and Nathan waved goodbye out the back window.

The park was dark and nearly deserted as Tetsuko walked along a designated path. The girl had put on her scorched jacket when she'd left the prison but it still smelled of fire. She angrily ripped it off and stuffed it into a trash can, wanting to get rid of the smell. She still scented it on her clothes and began to run, finally breaking down. Tetsuko T. Kaburagi could hide many things from everyone, but once she was alone, she couldn't hide anything.

She ran blindly through the park, startling animals and a couple who was making out in a bush. She ran until her lungs ached for air and she couldn't feel her bandaged legs. She slumped to the ground, brought her knees into her body and hung her head, sobbing. She cried until she had no more tears mumbling, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over again. A completely rung out Tetsuko stood up and wiped her sniffles away.

"Ug, that sucked." Her skills of understatement summed up the situation nicely. She oriented herself in the park by looking at the buildings that towered over the trees. Then she began the long walk back to the bus stop. She talked to Tomoe, unburdening herself into the evening air.

"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough, Tomoe. I tried my best but then I lost it. I lost that guy. I was right there and I couldn't help him at all! I hate feeling that way and you know that. I live for the promise you gave me and when I can't keep it all the way I feel…feel so…" She couldn't explain the void in her soul she had at the moment and gave up trying to name it. Tetsuko walked slowly, calmed and semi-free from her emotions. Everything was quiet again for a time as she made her way back to the park's borders and then the girl noticed a low rumble that she felt through the sole of her shoes. The ground started to shake as the roar of an engine drew closer. The instinct of fight or flight reared its head in her body and she stood frozen on the spot until the threat revealed itself. She did not expect a fucking robot. Vaguely resembling a human body with two arms and legs with feet attached to tank treads, the machine charged towards her, the gruesome face painted on the cockpit growling at her menacingly.

"What the hell?" She scrambled out of the way as the treads of the robot ripped up the grassy lawn and knocked down trees. The machine overshot the girl and turned with a screech to find its prey. Tetsuko ran. She ran even faster than when the thing started shooting at her. _A fucking machine gun? Really? _She ducked and dodged as the right arm's gun followed her. She reached the sidewalk and dashed across the street to hide behind a building, severely winded. Bullets ripped into the wall behind her and took off chunks of plaster and stone as Tetsuko fumbled for her phone. _I gotta call the police! This is fucking insane! _She got it open but a stray bullet distracted her as it whizzed past her face and she accidently called someone from her contact list.

"Hello?"

"Damn it! I can't believe I called you!" Bunny sighed though the phone.

"They why did you? I've got things to do, old lady. The school needed me to stay after to finish paperwork. I've already been here three extra hours and need to concentrate."

"Some fucking robot thing it trying to kill me!" It sounded completely ridiculous coming out of her mouth but she didn't care that it was Bunny she told; she had to tell someone what the hell was happening here. She ducked as another bombardment rained against her hiding place.

"Very funny, but I don't have time to indulge in your imagination. I'm sick of your pranks."

"This isn't a joke, goddamnit! I'm serious!"

"Goodbye."

"Bunny, wait!" Dial tone. "Goddamnitmotherfuckingshit, you're a bastard Bunny!" Tetsuko added some more colorful swears in Japanese to curse the blonde's mother, race, gender and asshole-ness until the gun stopped shooting. The girl peeked out from behind the wall. The robot seemed to be waiting for her to come out. "Okay, here we go." Tetsuko pocketed her phone and walked out calmly into the street. Taking a fighting stance, the girl and the machine stared at each other for a moment in dead silence. Then Tetsuko made her move. "See ya!" She pulled a Bunny as she ran off. _I can't fight a freaking robot! That's suicide! _The robot followed her down the street and the girl was surprised to see a familiar red car coming towards her. "Hey! Hey! Stop!" she waved wildly at the car with both hands above her head. The car halted in front of her. "What the hell are you doing here?" Tetsuko leapt into the door waiting open for her.

"I got halfway home and couldn't stand it! I was worried about you! Can't a friend be worried?" Nathan hugged her lightly as the brunette tumbled into the vehicle.

"Quick! Go the other way! Turn around!" Tetsuko shouted at the driver.

"Why?" Nathan asked as the mecha robot came into view.

"That's why! It's trying to kill me!" The car a 180-turn that shoved the two teens against the door as the driver floored the accelerator.

"Who did you piss off?" Nathan interrogated the girl as they sprawled tangled in the back seat.

"No fucking clue!"

"Watch your mouth!"

"This coming from the guy who says 'balls' every other sentence?" Tetsuko pushed the boy off her as she sat up to argue.

"I have them so I can say that!"

"You wish you didn't." Tetsuko pointed out.

"True."

"Duck, kids." The driver's gruff voice commanded and the pair hit the deck as bullets demolished the top half of the vehicle.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing? This is my car!" A deep, angry voice shouted at the gunman. Tetsuko almost didn't recognize Nathan's voice, it was so damn low! The driver just kept doing his job, ducked low over the wheel. "This is like something out of a movie or one of you weird-ass anime series! This shouldn't be happening!" The falsetto tone was back as Nathan shouted at her when glass rained down on them.

"It's happening! But it is and it's cool! Terrifying, but still cool!" Tetsuko shouted back as Nathan scrunched down even further into the ruined leather seats. "But we can't keep running like this forever!" She yelled as another volley was unloaded on the speeding sports car.

"What do you suggest, genius? This is your mess, not mine!"

"It's yours now too! You're the one who wanted to snuggle!" Tetsuko ducked further down as she argued with Nathan.

"Only as friends!"

"Whatever you say!" The gun clicked behind them, empty.

"Out of ammo?" Nathan asked, peeking up just a little bit.

"Let's find out." Tetsuko peeked up with him from the back seat as well, and instantly ducked right down again as blue flames torched the back end of the sport's car. _I'm surprised we haven't blown up yet! _"Nope! Definitely not!" The car swerved and knocked the teens around again. "Wait! I got it!"

"Got what?"

"We're gonna find out who's driving that thing! Hey," the girl called to the driver, "get lined up on the far left side and when I give the signal, slam on the brakes and move behind him so he can't attack us!"

"Are you crazy?" Nathan grabbed clutched her shirt and shook the girl.

"Yep!" She smiled charmingly. "I'm gonna jump on that thing's back and pry open the top hatch! Then we'll know who we're dealing with!"

"Whatever you say, Tets! It's your funeral." Nathan's chaperone did as the girl said and lined up with on the far side of the mecha and let it get closer. Tetsuko got ready to jump, crouched on the seat. "Now!" The car squealed at the drastic change in speed and their attacker shot past them. The car swerved to the right and sped up again, getting as close as possible. The world slowed down to Tetsuko. The machine's whirring seemed lower and slower, the creak of metal was lazy and the wind whipped her hair into her face a lazily. She felt smaller next to the mecha (it was about two and a half Tetsuko's tall), but from her considerable experience, big things can only move so fast.

She leapt up, power surging through her legs and barely grabbed onto a set of rungs climbing up the robot's back. She slammed into the backside of metal mecha and swore as she began her climb. It was a short trip up to the hatch, but with the wind drag and the thing trying to throw her off, it was the hardest thing Tetsuko did today, right up there with controlling the urge to punch Agnes in her woman-balls. Nathan's car had pulled clear at this point and is following closely behind. Tetsuko struggled to the top and the thing halted to thrash around more violently and the girl clung on even tighter, screaming with effort to stay on. She noticed a latch on the top and with a well-placed kick knocked it free. She grabbed both sides of the top hatch and pulled for all she was worth.

"Arrrggg!" Tetsuko vocalized the strain of her muscles and heard Nathan call her butch. "I'm not lesbian!" She shouted with one last tug and the door popped open unexpectedly and broke off as the brunette was thrown to the ground. She high-fived the asphalt with her back and got the air knocked out of her. Tetsuko felt empty. She gasped for breath, her lungs stalled, and her mouth working uselessly. Then it all rushed back in. Sputtering, the girl sat up and coughed violently as air surged into her body. She looked up to see the mecha righting itself and the cockpit exposed to the air. Inside was a black man in a black pilot's looking very pissed off. Tetsuko recognized him from somewhere.

"Hey, I know you!" She pointed at the man. He growled at her, preparing to attack when the wail of sirens and the lights of the police cars came into view. Then in a ninja-like fashion, the pilot threw down a flash bomb and disappeared.

Someone had heard the disturbance and call the police like Tetsuko was trying to do when she called Bunny accidently. The police checked out the scene, asked a lot of questions and sent out a search to find the culprit. Nathan complained about his car the whole time until the brunette pulled him aside. Out of hearing of any adult they began a hushed conversation.

"I know that guy who attacked us! I've seen him before!"

"Where?" Nathan asked, clearly excited.

"I don't remember," Tetsuko replied guiltily.

"You're memory's useless."

"It is not!" Nathan's phone went off. "Who is it?" Tetsuko asked as he took out his phone.

"My dad. He's telling me that the elevators in our high rise complex are broken. I'll have to wait until they're fixed or walk up 70 floors to the penthouse. That could take all night! Balls!" Tetsuko gave the boy a sarcastic look at the exclamation.

"What's wrong with the elevators in this city?" That's when her memory jogged. "He's the guy I saw fixing the elevator at the Fortress Tower before the bomb scare!"

"And he was trying to kill you because you saw his face? Scary." Nathan's detective powers came out as he thought out loud.

"That's got to be it! He's trying to get rid of everyone who saw him!" Tetsuko smiled at the face they figured it out. "And did you see his flame thrower?"

"Blue flames," Nathan bought his hand to his chin to think, "He's probably the guy who's killing all the criminals in prison, including the guy from today!"

"Yeah!"

"Were their others? Who else was there?" Tetsuko's face went slack at the question.

"Oh, balls."

"You don't have any, honey."

"Bunny was with me!" The brunette's heart raced. Bunny was at the school and if robot - man knew she was in the park then he probably knew Bunny was there! Her completely irrational mind when into hyper mode as she thought of every worst-case scenario in about 2.5 seconds. "We gotta go!" She grabbed Nathan's hand and pulled him along searching for a vehicle. _Why can't my Chaser do that Batman thing where it comes to me? _"We need a car and no police men following us. We need as few people as possible following us."

"Take the bus, sweetheart. You used to do it every day. It's right over there." Nathan then dragged _her _down a few blocks to the bus stop and they slipped out from under the police's radar. _Thank you public transportation! _

Ten minutes later the pair was running towards the school, praying they weren't too late. The streetlights cast their havens of light on the sidewalk that they followed to the school. The run wasn't long at all, only three or so blocks, but the time it took to reach the school grounds felt like forever to the brunette. Tetsuko raced forward to the gate and slammed into Bunny as he walked out. They tumbled to the ground ungracefully and the blonde cursed the girl.

"Damn it! What was that for, you clumsy troll?" He glared at the girl but she couldn't care less this time.

"Thank god you're okay!" She was overwhelmed by emotion that she hugged Bunny tightly, holding back tears.

"What are you talking about, old lady? Get off me!" He pried the brunette off and stood up under s streetlight to fix his clothes. Nathan came jogging up to them, ragged coat flapping behind him.

"We were just attacked by a robot in the park." Nathan explained, grabbing onto the blonde's arm and nuzzled his muscles.

"Oh, so what happened?"

"You believe him but not me?" Tetsuko was outraged and stomped to her feet.

"Yes."

"Asshole." She stuck her tongue at him and continued the explanation. "The guy who planted the bomb in Fortress Tower is killing everyone who saw his face. He could also be the guy torching criminals 'cuz he's got this massive flamethrower that shoots blue flames, and thinking you were in trouble we rushed over here," Tetsuko finished quickly.

"I'm fine so you didn't need to come over."

"And that's the thanks we get? Typical Bunny."

"I never asked you to come over in the first place."

"Then let's pretend that I just came I get my bike then!" Tetsuko yelled as she stalked over to the parking lot.

"Whatever you say, old lady." Both boys followed the girl as she grabbed her bike. The partners started arguing the merits of calling ahead when a familiar roar went off and startled a flock of birds down the street.

"We gotta go!" Tetukso revved her engine and raced out onto the street.

"We've always 'gotta go' when you're involved." Nathan said as he hopped onto her motorcycle when she passed him. Bunny followed both of them on his own Chaser.

"Shut up and hang on tight!"

"I'd rather hang on to Handsome." Nathan wrapped his arms around Tetsuko's waist, pouting into her back.

"Well then why didn't you get on his bike?"

"Yours was closer!"

"Then stop complaining!"

"So that's the robot?" Bunny interrupted their banter. The blonde glanced behind him, clearly keeping his calm better than Tetsuko. The black man in the pilot's seat narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of his targets and sped after them.

"No it's a unicorn pooping glitter. Of course it's the robot!" Too many things had happed to her today for Tetsuko to stay pleasant. "I'm gonna nail this guy with my bare hands if I have too," she mumbled to low for anyone to here. This guy was going to pay for all the people he'd killed and the ones he'd attempted too. The justice system of the city would see him locked behind bars for a very long time if Tetsuko had any say in it.

She gunned her bike down the street, skirt flying up and narrowly missed crashing as she ran through a stop sign. The car she'd almost hit honked at her angrily and then honked again at Bunny as he dashed close behind. The car then squealed away in reverse as the robot crashed through the intersection. The teens raced across town avoiding bullets and spurts of flame the guy threw at them as they ducked into back alleys, cut across sidewalks and avoided crashing into any pedestrians or damaging anything else. It was quite a chore for Tetsuko. Nothing seemed to work and the girl was running out of moves _and_ the mecha was gaining. Nathan kept wailing in her ear, Bunny kept trying to give her directions from three lanes over and she was getting fed up with everything. "Nathan!" The pinkette leaned in close. "You're hopping on Bunny's bike."

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes, we've established that! Get ready to jump!" She cut someone off as they tried to get out of their attacker's way. "Bunny!" The blond looked over, "Catch Nathan and then head to that parking terrace! We need to corner this guy!"Bunny nodded, not looking pleased at all at being ordered around. One…two…three!" The brunette counted down as Nathan prepared to jump.

The black man leapt off of the girl's bike and snagged Bunny around his waist as he landed on the boy's bike. Tetsuko pulled back once Nathan was safe and harassed the man in the robot to shoot at her instead of the boys fumbling for balance on the motorcycle. All three vehicles zipped into the parking terrace (thankfully empty), smashing through the parking attendant's booths in the mecha's case, and wove in and out of parking stalls while trying to catch each other. Tetsuko took one turn so tight as they climbed to higher levels that she was almost parallel to the ground and completely scraped up the rest of her left leg. Bunny was much more cautious with his bike and passenger and managed not to muss up his hair too much as they raced around. They reached the level just before the roof where they cornered the man in the mecha. He'd gotten backed up against a wall where Tetsuko skipped past him and Bunny had enough speed to pop a wheelie with Nathan screaming behind him and slammed into the robot from the side. Off balance, the robot toppled sideways and threw its pilot. Tetsuko screeched to a stop and her classmates did the same, semi-surrounding their attacker. The girl caught her foot on her bike seat as she dismounted and fell to the ground. Bunny snorted at her. She glared and got up, her legs still feeling like jelly.

"Not even a scratch." Tetsuko dismounted as the older black man struggled to get up from under his crashed contraption. She was looking at both Chasers which had ridden through Hell and back that night.

"But your leg's bleeding," Nathan pointed out.

"I meant my bike; it doesn't have a single scratch."

"Forget it! Let's just go catch this guy!" Bunny huffed his response in annoyance as he shoved Nathan off of him and dismounted. He stalked over to the guy.

"Wait! Why do you always get the last say in any fight we get into? You always steal the spotlight! Besides he attacked me first, shouldn't I get to kick his ass?" Tetsuko grabbed Bunny's shoulder as she ran to catch up to him.

"Fine, then. He's all yours." He stepped back and gestured to the man in the rubble.

"Really?"

"Be my guest. I won't get any credit for this one. No cameras."

"You're so self-centered, you know that?"

"Is there any other way to be?"

"Can I interrupt this macho banter and say that he's getting up?" Nathan pointed to the pilot with one hand and placed his other one on his flat chest.

"Oh, right." Tetsuko prowled towards the man, cracking her knuckles. "You messed with the wrong chick, buddy, and now you're gonna pay." The guy glared at her, turning his back to the girl as he finally sat up. There was a strange mark on the back of his neck, it looked like a snake and a sword but Tetsuko filed it in the back of her brain as 'unimportant.' She was just about ready to haul the terrorist to his feet and punch him once for every bullet he'd shot at her when Bunny pushed her aside roughly and surged forward. "Hey! I thought you said I could have him?"

"That tattoo on your neck, it's an Ouroboros isn't it?" The terrorist's eyes widened a bit in shock. Tetsuko was completely confused. "What is it? Some sort of crime syndicate?" Bunny continued despite the man's silence. "Where is the man who wears that mark on his hand?" He shouted in the guy's face as the blond grabbed his shirt and dragged him to his feet. "Answer me!" Tetsuko shivered at the rough tone of his voice. Clearly they'd walked into this situation blindly and now the blond had lost it. Bunny looked angry as hell, his eyes flashing dangerously. Tetsuko didn't even recognize him anymore. The pilot just smirked at the boy. Bunny growled and threw him backwards into his mecha. The man grunted in pain as he crashed heavily against the metal and slumped to the ground. Bunny stalked forward, murder in his eyes. Tetsuko stepped in front of him.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" She blocked the boy's body with her shoulder as he tried to get past her again.

"Out of my way." She shivered as the threatening not-Bunny voice was aimed at her.

"Alright, just calm down."

"Stay out of it!" Bunny shoved Tetsuko roughly. She shoved back with just as much force as the two of them squared off.

"They're at it again. Honestly," Nathan sighed as he slipped in between them and pushed Tetsuko away from the blond. "You're like an old married couple!" The click of a pistol got their attention again.

"Put your hands in the air and no sudden moves or your head gets blown off!" The terrorist pointed a gun at the trio. Two of the teens did as he said. Bunny just stood glaring at him. "The other guy too! Now! I swear I'll do it!" He gripped the gun in both hands, aiming for Bunny.

"Hey," Tetsuko turned her head towards the blond, pleading with her eyes.

"Better do it." Nathan turned towards him too. Bunny put his hands in the air where the terrorist could see them.

"There we go." He took a few steps forward.

"What's your game?" Tetsuko asked, her voice betraying nothing of the terror she was feeling. "Why'd you kill those guys in the prison cell? How the hell do they fit into all of this?"

"What?" The guy looked like he didn't know what the girl was talking about.

"And the one this morning, why?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He took another step.

"Don't play dumb with me! Come on! The guy died right in my arms! I deserve to know why!"

"I said I don't know!" The gun shifted to Tetsuko's face, the barrel staring her right in the eye. "I'm gonna do you first 'cuz you won't shut up." Tetsuko's eyes softened as she prepared to embrace death. The terrorist's finger twitched at the trigger, and she flinched. Then something bright blue shot the weapon out of the man's grip and the gun clattered to the floor, glowing red. Everyone gasped and looked towards where the shot came from.

"What on earth was that?" Nathan breathed out. There was something on the roof of the closest building, glowing eerie blue-green in the night.

"Is it human?" Tetsuko looked closer and saw the thing wearing a palm-faced mask with googley eyes and purple girl lips and it wore a weird white cape with blue, black and yellow accents. Whatever it was held a bolt of some kind that was wreathed in blue flames and loaded it onto a crossbow. The next shot it took was fatal. The terrorist burst into a column of flame and screams of agony that echoed two fold in Tetsuko's mind, replaying the tragedy of that very morning. She ran over to the man as he fell to the ground only to be pushed back by the inferno, the flames catching onto her skirt. She beat out the fire, roasting her hands a bit in the process, and looked back up where the murderer was standing. It was gone, leaving three teens and a corpse bathed in sickly blue light.

T&B

"Damn it!" Barnaby shouted in frustration. _Gone again, damn them! Why can't I ever get a solid lead? _Anger and anguish clouded his usually focused mind, causing him to forget everything but the desire for revenge. Barnaby ran off to the roof, trying to see which direction the murderer went.

"Wait!" Kaburagi called after him. _Stay out of this! You don't have anything to do with this, old lady! _Barnaby dashed up the stairs, burst through the door and frantically searched the streets and buildings for any sign of the culprit. He heard footsteps behind him and hid out of sight on the other side of the stairwell, for reasons unknown even to him. He was so on edge that he couldn't even reason through anything. It was Kaburagi. She ran past his spot and began looking at all the buildings too.

"Ah! Who the hell was that guy?" She muttered under her breath. _This is all her fault, _Barnaby thought as he walked up behind her quietly. _If she hadn't stopped me form interrogating that man I'd have found out what I wanted! _

"This is all your fault!" He startled the girl as she spun around, eyes terrified at his appearance. The blond grabbed her collar in one hand and shook her violently. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't gotten in my way back there! I was this close to uncovering Ouroboros!" He put his other hand on her shoulder and squeezed, wishing it was her neck.

"Ow! Hey! Calm down, Bunny!" She struggled in his grip, beginning to fight back as her eyes blazed with anger.

"I can't calm down!" He felt completely lost to his emotions, so out of sync with his usual calm that he couldn't get a grip on himself. Years and years of hate and anger had rushed into his system causing him to act out in violence and it all boiled down to one thing. "Those bastards murdered my parents!" Tetsuko's opened his shock at his confession. Then everything was gone. Barnaby felt nothing as he dropped the girl to the ground. He fell to his knees, burned out emotionally and found himself enveloped in a warm hug. Kaburagi hugged him for the second time that night, worried about him both times. He hadn't felt so cared for in years and it was all because of this girl. He felt tears come to his eyes and blinked them away quickly. _Why do I put up with you when all you do is mess things up, including me?_

"Hey, let's go back down. If Nathan catches us like this, the rumors will never stop." She smiled sadly at her joke that wasn't really a joke. It was true, Nathan would spread the hug like wildfire and he'd be coupled with Kaburagi for the rest of high school. The girl stood up and reached out a hand for Barnaby. He took it and walked down the stairs with his classmate leading the way. He heard sirens in the distance, getting closer every second. When they got down to where Seymour was, Tetsuko shrugged and told him the flame-guy got away.

"Well, the police caught up with us." The black man replied.

"Darn, I was hoping to avoid them for a while longer." Tetsuko chuckled dryly and sat down on the ground to check on her leg. It was bleeding steadily from her scrape against the asphalt, skin actually torn off in places. It looked like it hurt a lot and Tetsuko confirmed the boy's suspicions as she hissed at the tender skin. Barnaby noticed the other bandages he hadn't before.

"What happened to you?" His voice feigned slight concern, but really he just wanted to focus on something else besides his failure to capture his parent's murderer. He listened to the girl as she told him what happened at the prison, Nathan chiming in every once in a while to correct her. _She really does care about everyone. She even tried to help a criminal. What happened to make her so devoted to others? _Barnaby cast that thought aside and decided to wallow in his own defeat. He didn't care enough to keep listening. By the time he tuned back in, Tetsuko was being questioned by police officials and being berated for leaving the scene of the first incident just to get right into another. She told the officer that Barnaby had been in danger and she had to help him. The man gave her a disapproving stare and told her that she should've told that to the authorities so they could've gone and picked up the blond. She called the police slow and got into an argument that almost ended up with her in custody for defying a police officer. Nathan smoothed out the whole situation and eventually they were let go after they had given their statements. Barnaby glanced back just once to see his one lead to his life's ambition get zipped up into a body bag.

"Bunny, I know this is personal for you, but you lost control back there and someone died because of it, you know that right? What happened?" Kaburagi asked the boy as they both walked their bikes out of the parking terrace. Nathan walked on ahead, chatting into his phone about getting a ride home. Barnaby didn't feel like answering and hung his head so she couldn't see his face. Nathan got off the phone and joined the two, walking on Tetsuko's side so he could listen in. "Would you fill us in? Why did you lose it in the first place? And what the hell is this Ouroboros?" Barnaby stayed silent, carefully weighing his words in his head. Kaburagi's face went from concerned to annoyed. "If you don't talk, we can't help you! Come on! We have no idea what's going on!" She began shouting at him which caused him to shout back.

"I don't know either, okay?" She stopped walking and didn't say anything. _That shut her up. _"I think that Ouroboros is the crime syndicate that murdered my parents." He began explaining in a softer tone. Both his classmates gasped but Barnaby continued. "That man had their symbol tattooed on his neck."

"Tattoo? So that's what that was!" Tetsuko started walking again with her bike. "Does that mean that the bomber was a member of Ouroboros?"

"I'll never know, thanks to that murderer who killed him." Barnaby's voice hardened again at the thought and he gripped the handle bars he was holding tighter.

"Who was he? And how did he just show up out of nowhere like that?" Tetsuko seemed to be thinking out loud more than actually asking questions and Barnaby shook his head sadly.

"Well, judging by the way he killed the bomber guy, I bet he's the one we're looking for, the one behind those killings." Nathan finally spoke up, voicing evidence as a way to get a grip on the situation.

"Wait, you're saying the whack job with the bombs was innocent?" Kaburagi asked incredulously.

"It's hard to believe, I know, but maybe the flame guy is silencing people from his organization: Killing off the criminals who aren't of use anymore to the higher ups and could be leaking information. I could see that happening." Seymour shrugged his shoulders. Barnaby started walking faster, wanting to get away from everything and from everyone.

"Wait, Bunny! What's he up to? Tell us what you know so we can help you!"

"Stay out of this. Leave me alone. I don't want anyone's help on this one." Barnaby hopped on his bike and sped away from the girl and the boy trying to be a girl. _I lost my parents when I was only four years old. It's been horrible to carry that pain my entire life. Thirteen years I've searched and searched and now that I have a lead, its torched right in front of me. Why did I do to deserve this kind of torment? _Barnaby contemplated thoughts along that line as he drove home. The crushing loss of hope threatened to do him in if he didn't get away. He squealed into his apartment's garage and raced up to his dark home. For days he brooded in the dark, not answering his texts or calls and not leaving for anything. He checked his phone once and saw he'd missed forty eight calls from Kaburagi, Mr. Lloyds and Mr. Jackson and had about a hundred texts. Most of them went like this:

Old Lady: Are you ok Bunny?

Old Lady: Text me.

Old Lady: Where are you?

Old Lady: Are you alive?

Antonio Lopez: Where are you dude? You're freaking everyone one out. Mostly Suko.

Old Lady: Blue Rose had to help me cover your shift and she's pissed. Where are you?

Old Lady: You've been missing from school for days, Lloyds is pissed you've missed all our meetings. Bunny?

Old Lady: Ben's upset you won't return his calls.

Yuri Petrov: Your absence has not gone unnoticed. Return to your post as soon as possible.

Old Lady: We're worried about you. Please talk to me.

Old Lady: Bunny?

Old Lady: Your fans are missing you. That should get you out right? Fans…girls…fangirls!

Old Lady: Karina and Nathan think we're in a lover's quarrel. Please tell them they're wrong. And Blue Rose kicked me in the leg because she had to cover your shift with me again. Then some punk kicked me in the leg for no reason. Karma's a bitch to me. Come back please!

Old Lady: I know this has nothing to do with me, but let me help.

_You can't help this time. No one can. _

Old Lady: Asshole. Pick up your damn phone or I'm coming over to your place to drag you out.

She actually did come over, the doorman letting her up to his floor because she'd pretended that Barnaby was sick and she was helping take care of him. The girl had stood outside his door for hours, banging on the entrance until one of the neighbors yelled at her and threatened to call security. Then she'd quietly kept tapping on the door, in Morse code, saying _let me in, let me in, let me in _and _open up, open up, open up. _Barnaby also swore he heard a few _asshole_s. Tetsuko then sat in front of the crack that the door didn't cover and started telling him everything that had happened over the course of the days he'd been gone. She slipped school assignments under the door one by one and a list of problems he was supposed to do in his math book. Barnaby left them where they were. The girl finally left after midnight when she'd run out of things to say. Then she called him at three in the morning to leave him voice messages and texts. Barnaby ignored them and took calls from only one person, his guardian Mr. Maverick.

"Barnaby, can you hear me?" The man's soothing voice greeted him.

"Yes, sir." Barnaby leaned back into his chair as he listened to his mentor over the phone.

"I understand how frustrated you must be, but if you give up now your goal will elude you. You won't have closure."

"Sir, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused at the school."

"Don't worry, my boy. You'll get another chance soon enough."

The arsonist attacked a crime syndicate that wasn't Ouroboros the next day. Barnaby had had his hopes up when the syndicate was mentioned on the news, but none of the perps had the tattoo he was looking for. The police had been tracking the group for months and had cornered them in a church in Bronze. The murderer caused major black outs in that area of the city when he took out power lines with his flaming cross bolts. Ms. Agnes had a field day when her scoop on the situation aired of the school's show. Tetsuko texted him the whole thing saying that Agnes couldn't stop saying that she couldn't buy drama this good. Everyone in the church died except one criminal they managed to capture alive and the arsonist had taken over the news broadcasting system to deliver a message:

"My fellow citizens, I do hope you can hear me, especially the authorities who strive to protect this city. The justice you seek is a hollow fallacy. You call yourselves heroes but you can neither save nor punish anyone. You're so called bravery is in vain. Why do you even bother trying? If you want true justice, only I can give it to you. My name is Lunatic and I follow my own code of justice. Where there's darkness in the world, I will be there to snuff it out. Hear the voice of Thanatos!" He'd put the city into a frenzy. People were beginning to doubt the cops and the justice system as a whole.

"He calls it justice, but I've got another word for it: murder!" Kaburagi slammed her fist down on the lunch table. The second Barnaby came back to school she'd stuck to him like glue. She'd told him she didn't want him having another break down, but all she was doing was annoying him. She'd even tried to follow him into the boy's bathroom a couple of times which Barnaby carded her for it until she stopped.

"My, my, you do have a peculiar way of looking at things." Captain Petrov walked past their table right at the wrong moment, pulling his pale hair out of his face. His gray eyes locked onto his nemesis with a cold calculating gaze. He looked especially menacing today in his school jacket that was now required due to the inclement weather. He also switched out his regular tie with a brightly colored one adorned with dark blue, light blue and neon green geometric designs. _He's the only one who can ever get away with that except Seymour._ "Maybe this individual's way of seeing things compels him to punish criminals in the way he seems fit, that they deserve to die for their crimes. That's just his perspective."

"Are you on his side?" Tetsuko rose to the argument, standing up to get in the captain's face.

"I'm neither agreeing nor disagreeing with either view. I just think this should all be analyzed before anyone jumps to conclusions." Yuri fixed Tetsuko with a hard look and walked away smoothly.

"He gives me the creeps." The girl sat down again before continuing where she left off. "And what the hell's on that guy's head anyways? A glove? It's seriously weird the way he waltzes in with is big-ass cape and wonky mask, kills some people and then waltzes right out again without being caught. What do you think, Bunny?" Barnaby poked his salad and said nothing. "Good talk, good talk." She sighed and ate her sandwich moodily. They both ended up throwing most of their lunch away.

"Hey, Bunny, you're not showboating today. Where's your pretty smile?" Kaburagi poked him in the cheek.

"Where's yours?" He asked back.

"Did you just call my smile pretty?"

"No."

"You did!" Tetsuko smiled brightly at the unintentional compliment. _Ah, there is it. She always looks better when she smiles. _Bunny hid his own soft smile behind his curls. An hour later they were in their meeting with Mr. Lloyds for the P.A. committee and neither felt like smiling.

"Ug, it's so hot in here!" Tetsuko complained when Mr. Lloyds stepped out of the room. The school had turned on the heating system in preparation for the coming winter but all it did was make the students sweat.

"I'm tired." Barnaby set his pencil down, his insomnia had been acting up and he'd only had four hours of sleep this week.

"Don't tell me you want to leave, you always want to work and suck up to Mr. Lloyds."

"I'm usually putting on a show."

"Huh, looks real to me."

"That's the point."

"Well if you don't want to be here and I don't want to be here let's go! We've got to help set up for the party tonight anyway."

"I don't want to go to that either."

"We'll you can't back out now. You've missed to much work to get a day off." Tetsuko pointed out. When Mr. Lloyds came back in they both excused themselves for the day, saying they had done their work when they really hadn't. Tetsuko then raced Barnaby to work and he won again.

"Damn it! Why can't I win? I'm not even biting off more than I can swallow this time! It's just a race!"

"Chew." Barnaby dismounted and grabbed his school bag.

"What?" Kaburagi followed suit and made her way towards the building.

"You said 'swallow' but it's really 'chew.'"

"They both work!" She threw up he hands in frustration.

"You really don't get the point of idioms. You have to say them correctly for them to have any meaning."

"Who cares?"

"Me."

"Well, obviously!" She went to go help set up and change the moment she made it inside and this time Barnaby followed her. Once the floor was decorated and set up for the night by all the heroes, they went to change. Fire Emblem kept sneaking into the girl's locker room to change in there but they kept kicking him out. So he resorted to try and pinch the boy's butts as many times as possible in the three minutes they took to suit up and vacate the room.

"I really don't want to do this. What's the point?" Barnaby wrapped the "Let's Believe Heroes" sash around his right shoulder as he walked out of the dressing room. His suit clipped on neatly today, hardly causing any trouble at all.

"Come on! After what we've been through lately this'll be a piece of pie!" Tigress was getting tangled in her sash as she wrestled with it. Barnaby slapped her hands away and draped it appealingly across her exposed chest, his fingers ghosting above her skin. The blond still blushed slightly every time he saw her in her new costume; it was just too indecent not to appreciate the view.

"Cake." The corrections came almost unnoticed at this point.

"Both are delicious." Barnaby pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"Can't you be serious?"

"I'm always serious! I just hide it behind my sparkling personality!"

"I doubt that."

"Anyway," she stressed the subject change to get Barnaby to listen to her, "it's the anniversary of the opening of Hero's Bar. Most customers take this seriously because the restaurant is widely popular and so well established. This is a big deal for Ben and frankly, he's just happy you started picking up your phone again so you'd better stay in line this time, not me. He almost fired you when I had to take over all your shifts with Blue Rose." Barnaby had gotten called into Mr. Jackson's office the first day he came back. He was not happy with the flakey streak Barnaby had pulled off and threatened to drop him next time it happened.

"Yeah, I know."

"And this whole his is about having fun! It's a party after all! The people of this city need a good cheering up after all the killings and this is just our little way of helping." Tigress dragged Barnaby where they worked their butts off for the rest of the night. It was half off all meals and there was a lottery for prize money and gifts with dancing afterwards. All the customers had a blast, from what Barnaby could tell and Mr. Jackson personally thanked all his guests for their years of support and expressed his thanks to his heroes for their dedication. It actually felt really nice to get publicly recognized for hard work, and Barnaby decided that the event wasn't so bad after all. He'd also won the monthly challenge that night for the second time in a row, much to Tiger's dismay, and was having a hard time coming up with something he really wanted. The only damper on the evening was the fact that a convicted criminal had escaped prison.

"Edward's out of prison?" Origami Cyclone actually shouted and it surprised Barnaby. The heroes were all still in costume and hanging out in the back after the long anniversary night.

"Yeah, he escaped a few days ago and is still on the run." Fire Emblem was checking the news on his phone, scrolling through the article on his screen.

"Who's Edward?" Tigress asked the question Barnaby was about to.

"Edward Keddy was my classmate a few years ago. He was a great guy, confident and popular, unlike me. He was my best friend." Origami Cyclone took off his mask and shook out his pale blond hair.

"So what happened?" Dragon Kid placed her head on her hands as she sat at the break room's table.

"He tried to diffuse a hostage situation by getting involved. He managed to get one of the criminal's guns but was overpowered and accidently ended up killing the hostage. I couldn't help him. I was a coward when he asked me for help, but I couldn't move. He was sentenced to serve years in prison." Origami didn't want to talk about it anymore. He was the first to leave the bar.

"I hate it when Ivan's a downer. He makes me depressed too." Kaburagi walked next to Barnaby as they went out for a late dinner a few blocks away. Her treat.

"He's usually pretty upbeat, even if he is quiet." Barnaby shifted his school bag on his shoulder as they crossed a street.

"Yeah, but he seemed pretty shaken that his friend was out of prison. That's got to be hard on him. I think he blames himself for what happened. He called himself a coward." She was still wearing that stupid sash over her school uniform, said it made her feel cool. Before Barnaby could come up with a good reply he heard shouts coming from the park next to the pair. They both took off at a sprint and reached the fight. It was Ivan and a boy Barnaby had never seen before. He was holding Ivan down into a fountain trying to drown him while yelling at the blond, soaked up to his puffy yellow jacket and orange jumpsuit.

"Do you know how much I've suffered because of you? Huh?" The red head shouted while pushing Ivan down into the water. "You ruined everything! Why didn't you try to help me that day?" He let Ivan come up for air and Barnaby was afraid that they wouldn't reach the pair in time. "I went to save someone so why am I now the criminal and you're walking free? This is your fault, coward! I lost everything because you were too scared to move!" With a growl the boy shoved Ivan back under.

"What's he doing?" Barnaby asked as they ran closer.

"Hey! Leave the kid alone!" Kaburagi yelled as both boys looked up at them. The boy who must've been Edward Keddy leapt up and dashed away, leaving Ivan gasping and completely soaked in the fountain. Tetsuko tried to see where Edward went while Barnaby pulled the small blond out of the water.

"Are you alright?" Barnaby asked Ivan when he was sitting up. Tetsuko kneeled next to the boys.

"Why did you guys have to interfere?"

"Huh?" Barnaby and Kaburagi voiced confusion at the question.

"I'd be willing to die if I thought it would somehow make him feel better."

"Why would you say something like that? The water must've leaked into your head." Tetsuko wrung out Ivan's blond locks as she tried to get the kid to talk.

"You have to understand that I'm the one who ruined his life." The kid looked completely heartbroken.

"Edward's just looking for someone to blame, Ivan." The boy's purple eyes landed on Barnaby's face as he listened. "He shouldn't have stepped in. What happened back then wasn't your fault."

"No, he asked for my help and I was so scared I couldn't move. I froze. All I could think about was dying. With the way it turned out I might as well have died. If I stepped in, we might've changed things and he'd still be here, being a much better person than I am." Ivan hung his head and clasped his hands together tightly.

"Listen, you're coming at this all wrong." Tetsuko's voice make Ivan look up at her. "Edward simply wasn't ready to be in a situation like that. He should've let the police handle it. But he's going to mess up again if you don't help stop him."

"What do you mean? I can't do anything."

"Wouldn't that be the same mistake you make last time? He's your friend, don't you care about him?" Ivan got a look in his eyes and stood up on his feet. He ran after his friend, conviction oozing from his every step. "I'm better than I thought I was." Tetsuko smiled as she stood up.

"And so modest too." Barnaby replied sarcastically. "You're not supposed to brag about it."

"It's no big deal. Come on." She ran after Ivan and Barnaby ran after her.

"Edward! Edward!" He could hear Ivan's shouts through the park. They followed the teen into a parking complex across the street and watched as Edward tripped Ivan. The boy fell to the ground and looked up at his friend.

"You were looking for me so what's with the scared face?" The red head towered over the blond.

"I'm here to ask you to stop. Come on, Edward, please!"

"Shut up!" The argument was interrupted by a flaming bolt passing between the boys. There, illuminated by the moon, was Lunatic. Barnaby's blood began to boil at the sight and he picked up speed. Tetsuko was right there by his side.

"Sinful one, your time has come."

"It's Lunatic!" Ivan shouted. Barnaby was almost to the stairs that would lead him down into the lot.

"Why did he shoot at me?" Edward was clearly unsettled as he shouted at Ivan.

"You escaped from prison without atoning for the murder you committed. You will pay for that with your life!" As the arsonist aimed, Edward ran behind a car for shelter. "Foolish man." The vigilante murderer blew up the car. Edward ran to another vehicle but it was blown up before he could reach it. Lunatic's pointy boots clicked on the ground as he approached the criminal. "Are you prepared to atone for you sins? Because sinners have to pay the price. Accept your punishment as justice." Barnaby and Tetsuko were now on the stairs, basically tripping over their own feet to get down there. Ivan jumped in front of his friend.

"Senseless killing goes against my principles. Identify yourself, sinner." Lunatic paused, his finger hovering over the trigger.

"I'm Edward's friend and I won't let you kill him! Go ahead! I'm going to protect Edward! Go on! Shoot!" Ivan shouted, holding his arms out to protect his friend. Barnaby was now in the lot with Kaburagi and they dashed forward.

"You leave me no choice." Those who defend sinners are also evil." He swiped a match across his bow and the tiny flame lit up the bolt nestled inside. The man had matches and bolts strapped all over his body as well as an arsenal of projectile weapons. Barnaby panted with exertion, his blood pumping with the need for revenge. It was a race to see who could get there first and for the first time, Tetsuko beat him. She grabbed both boys and hauled them out of the way as Lunatic shot off his round. Fire exploded behind them and Barnaby jumped up to nail the arsonist with his signature kick. The man dodged as Barnaby yelled he bolted after the retreating criminal.

"You're not getting away!" He ran faster than ever as the maniac left the lot. Tetsuko joined him after she'd patted Ivan on the back. They careened around the neighborhood always just a step behind the masked man until he got himself cornered on the roof of a three story building that was under construction. The three faced off, breathing heavily in the night air.

"What do you want with Edward? He doesn't have anything to do with Ouroboros!" Barnaby questioned. The palm-faced bastard just laughed. "So you're not trying to silence people for you organization?" Barnaby pressed, getting impatient for the answers he so desperately wanted.

"I've only come here to make evil doers atone for their sins."

"So you're not part of Ouroboros?" Kaburagi took a step forward, threatening the masked man's position.

"You talk too much." Lunatic lean back like he was bored with the whole affair.

"Don't play coy! Because of you I lost my lead to Ouroboros!" Barnaby accused, taking his own step forward.

"That's too bad." The condescending tone made Barnaby's temper flare at the man who had taken away his one chance to find his parent's killer and the crime syndicate responsible for their deaths. He growled and surged forward, kicking with enough force to spin him around twice. Unfortunately, Lunatic dodged him yet again and leapt to another part of the roof where he loaded a flaming bolt into his crossbow with deadly efficiency.

"How reckless! Has hatred consumed you?" He aimed at Barnaby as his feet touched down on the roof. "Hear the voice of Thanatos!" Barnaby gasped as he realized he was about to die in a column of fire. Flickering flames licked at his brain, two bodies slumped on the floor and couch, a man standing with an evil grin, bursting into a demon.

"Bunny!" Tetsuko ran forward as the bolt left the string. She jumped in front of him and took the quarrel to the shoulder while pushing him down with her other arm. "Ahhh!" She crashed to the ground, holding her shoulder in pain while putting out the fire before it spread to the rest of her clothes. Her burned sash fluttered to the ground three stories below. _Wha-? How did she-why? _Barnaby couldn't form a coherent thought as Tetsuko picked herself up clumsily and faced off against Lunatic again. She ran towards him and pulled back her injured dominant arm as the arsonist ran at her. They met at the edge of the roof and punched each other in the face with enough force that they both went flying. Barnaby watched from where he had fallen in shock. Lunatic fell off the building, but managed to clutch the edge of the roof before plummeting down. Then Tetsuko lost her balance and tipped backwards, falling off the roof with no way to grab on.

"No!" Barnaby's heart clenched as she disappeared over the side. Her scream echoed in his ears before it stopped abruptly. The blond ran down the stairs, heedless to any obstacle in his way whether it was plastic covers, construction equipment or piles of materials for the building. _It's my fault! _Barnaby thought as he raced down three floors his partner had just fallen down. _If I had thought everything through, she wouldn't have gotten hurt or fallen and she might be-no don't think like that! _He burst out of the building and ran around to the side where Tetsuko disappeared. He couldn't see her in all the clutter the construction company had left lying around.

"Old lady!" He called out to her, climbing over piles of wood and sheet rock. "Old lady!" He heard a groan and movement somewhere to his right. He spotted something moving in a dumpster. It was Tetsuko. _Thank god she's alive! _Barnaby ran to her as she tumbled out of the garbage and to the ground. She curled into a ball, holding her body in a crouched position and the blond put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She smiled weakly up at him trying to hide her bleeding arm and face. A quiet _thump_ sounded behind them as Lunatic safely landed on the ground. Barnaby growled at him as he glared at the man. He felt a hand grip his tightly.

"Calm down, don't get crazy." Tetsuko looked him in the eye as she squeezed his hand, needing him by her right now.

"What?" Barnaby was upset that she was _still _thinking about him instead of herself!

"I have no wish to fight you." Lunatic was turned away from the pair. Barnaby pulled his hand out of Kaburagi's to face him.

"What?"

"Let me make myself clear: I'm just giving murderers what they deserve." His voice echoed in his mask.

"Killing people, that's what you call justice?" Tetsuko struggled to her feet as she talked. Barnaby grasped her shoulders to help her up and put his hand on her back for support.

"The oldest form on earth: an eye for an eye." Lunatic turned around, revealing his broken mask where Kaburagi's fist had cracked it.

"Yeah, well I have a very different approach. My idea of justice is by letting the police arrest idiots like you who put innocents in danger! Killing criminals isn't going to help anyone when you put everyone's life in danger with your fireworks!" The girl accused the man as she clutched her arm. Apparently her body didn't like the sudden movement and Barnaby had to catch her as she stumbled back. More of Lunatic's mask crumbled away, revealing pale skin underneath. A blue gloved hand reached up to cover his cheek.

"Interesting. We shall see where that sense of justice leads you and the people of Sternbild." Lunatic leapt into the darkness, getting away once again.

"Wait!" Barnaby couldn't see where he went. "Bastard." Tetsuko crumbled to the ground, unconscious. "Hey! Kaburagi! Wake up!" Barnaby cradled her head on his lap when he sat down. He called 911 and waited for an ambulance to pick them up. He spotted the girl's sash a few feet away and stretched his body to snatch in up. Most of it was gone, consumed by flames, but the "Let's Believe" was still intact. _Let's believe, huh? What should I believe in? _Barnaby tucked the piece of cloth in his pocket, brushed his classmate's hair out of her face and shifted her into a more comfortable position. He didn't even care that she was getting blood on his clothes. He looked at the injury she'd sustained from his stupidity. The cut was deep, almost stretching from her shoulder to her armpit at their widest point. He could see her white bone beneath the slightly scorched muscle. The burn would take up a good section of her skin when it healed. He took his free hand and pinched the skin together, applying pressure to stem the bleeding. He wanted to help in some way, to appease his guilt.

"Hey, Bunny." Her voice was soft and laced with pain. She looked up at him with weary eyes, barely conscious again.

"Yeah, you silly old goat?"

"Aren't you glad that ol' palm-face isn't a part of Ouroboros?" She coughed and seized up a little as she shifted. "Or maybe you're not." She slipped out again and left the boy with his thoughts. He didn't know what to think. Mostly he was just glad both of them made it out of this alive.

The ambulance came and whisked both teens to the hospital. Lying out on a stretcher, Tetsuko was cared for by paramedics while Barnaby stayed out of the way. He couldn't take his eyes off her face. Well, he did once when an unknown number texted him to let the blond know that Edward Keddy was back in custody and Ivan had tried to resolve things with his friend a little. The red head had said thanks. Barnaby shook his head as he stored the number under Ivan Karelin in his contacts. _How many people did she give my number too? _He returned to watching Tetsuko until the hospital staff took her off to surgery and left the boy in the waiting room.

"Why?" He asked, not expecting and answer. "I don't get it. Why do you bother with me?" The boy fell asleep in his uncomfortable chair and had to be woken up by Mrs. Kaburagi. She'd been called in when the hospital had contacted her about her daughter. Barnaby explained the whole situation when she sat down and the kind woman just shook her head at her daughter's shenanigans.

"She's always in the thick of things, always has been." Mrs. Kaburagi patted Barnaby's hand sympathetically. "She was even a hostage in a bank robbery when she was little. She'd run away from home because of things that had happened in school that day. She used to get made fun of a lot and got into a slew of fights because of it. This one was particularly bad so she up and left in the middle of the afternoon. We searched all over for her until we got a call from the police saying that Tetsuko was alright and that she'd helped the authorities foil a robbery in the Silver Stage. She was so excited and happy that she didn't get into any fights for a week." The lady sighed and Barnaby was genuinely surprised she'd revealed so much of her daughter's history to a near stranger. "I suppose that was a sign that she would be in more situations like that. I've come to expect them now, but it still doesn't help my worrying. I'm just glad you were with her this time." Mrs. Kaburagi smiled at the blond warmly.

"Why is that, Mrs. Kaburagi?"

"Call me Anju, or kaa-san. All of Tetsuko's friends do."

"What does 'kaa-san' mean?"

"Mother."

"Oh." Barnaby didn't know how to feel about calling his friend's mom 'mother.' _Wait…friend? Are we friends? _"Mrs. Anju why are you glad?" The woman chuckled at his formalness.

"She needs something steady in her life. When Tomoe died, she was lost for a bit. She was fully prepared to move out last year after school was done but was informed that she had to repeat a year and then Antonio quit his old job and moved on without her. They're still friends, of course, but they were inseparable at school and it was hard being without him. When you were paired with my daughter, there was one thing she'd always do when she got home."

"What was that?"

"Complain about how stuck-up you were or what you'd done to wrong her that day." Mrs. Anju laughed at Barnaby's face. "Don't get me wrong, some of the insults weren't pleasant, but she'd always talk about you in some way. Our conversations have gotten nicer lately; she's found less to complain about you."

"Well, that's a relief." Barnaby huffed, very put out at being trash talked to an older woman. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"I know dealing with Tetsuko can be very trying at times," Barnaby mumbled "all the time," when Mrs. Anju paused. "But she's a good person and tries her hardest to please everyone in her own way. I think she's lucky to have someone like you keeping her in line for the most part." Their conversation fell into silence as Barnaby chewed on his new thoughts.

They were let into Tetsuko's room when she got out of surgery. The brunette was still fast asleep, bandaged up once again. She'd broken some ribs in the fall and her burn wound/cut had to be stitched up as well as the muscles underneath. She also had a compress taped to her cheek where Lunatic had decked her. Barnaby sighed in relief when the doctor told them that she was going to be just fine. Mrs. Anju stroked her daughter's face and kissed her forehead. She sat in the visitors chair and held her daughter's hand. Barnaby was about to leave them alone when the older woman spoke up.

"Barnaby? Would you mind staying here for a minute? I need to get something to eat and I don't want to leave her alone." The woman stood up again and gestured to the now-vacant chair.

"Sure, Mrs. Anju." The mother left them alone. Tetsuko's face looked so peaceful, her dark skin and hair a perfect contrast to the white sheets she slept on. Barnaby took her hand like her mother did and leaned in close to the sleeping girl. "Thanks, old lady. You saved me this time. I'm just sorry I couldn't be there to catch you." Barnaby's heart sped up when he thought of her fall, he didn't want to feel like that ever again, not when he could help someone. The blond realized he was getting attached to the brunette and her ideals. He relied on her goofy smile and clumsiness like he relied on the sun to rise each day. He was beginning to think that he needed to see this girl every day to keep him on track. _Why am I thinking like that now? We hated each other. Do we still? No, we don't. _Barnaby brought his hand up to stroke Tetsuko's hair. It was softer than it looked and well taken care of.

"You are full of contradictions, you know that right? You pull of the 'bad girl' part so perfectly but turn around and are full of gooeyness at times. And you to get into fights but try to stop them all the time and you worry about others more than yourself and you meddle with others when you don't like to be meddled with and you love to mess with me just too show how much you care-" Barnaby stopped his list and brushed his lips against her cheek impulsively, not knowing really why he did it. He realized that he might actually have feelings for this girl other than the mutual hate they shared together. "Thank you, old lady."

"Mmm. Bunny." Tetsuko mumbled in her sleep, a small smile gracing her face. Barnaby pulled away quickly, blushing like crazy. He'd almost woke her up! She mumbled, shifting slightly in her sleep. "Asshole."

"You suck." _What do I see in you? _

A/N: There you go! Remember to review and comment or I'll have to send Nathan after you butts!


	6. Interlude

A/N: Time for another update! I decided to spotlight all our heroes this time! Enjoy! :3

Chapter Six: Interlude

Part 1: Pao-Lin and Sam

Pao-Lin Huang had no clue how she'd gotten roped into this. All she did was come home to her all girls' boarding house, change into her yellow practice jumpsuit and take a phone call from her neighbors that lived across the street. That had been that, but her neighbors had guilt-tripped her when the girl said that she couldn't come over because she had a ton of homework to do (which she wouldn't do until the next day) and convinced her to baby sit. Now she was sitting in their home surrounded by memorabilia, knick knacks and so much _stuff_ that Pao-Lin was beginning to hate last minute business trips. She couldn't even practice martial arts in here; she'd probably destroy the place like Tigress would.

She glanced down at the extremely cute black baby in the ridiculous yellow flower hat that she was charged to care for. Little Sam was still asleep in his baby carrier and Pao-Lin just had to wait until he woke up to do anything for him. She'd been given a run down on what to do but all the information was running around her head and getting mixed up.

"This is not going to be good." The girl shook her blonde head and scrunched further into the plush couch. "I don't know how to babysit, it's too girly. I don't even like babies!" She flipped on the plasma T.V. to watch some action when Sam decided that it was time to wake up. He let out such a howl that it startled the girl off her seat and onto the floor. She scuttled over toe child and tried to calm him without touching him. "It's okay! Sh, sh, sh. No need to cry. Please stop crying!" She tried to play with the boy to distract him but he howled louder. She resorted to Plan B: call someone to get them to help her!

"Hello! And hello again!" Sky High picked up his phone on the first ring.

"Sky High! How do you stop a baby from crying?" Pao-Lin asked, cringing into the phone as Sam's voice rose to a louder volume.

"Play with him by tossing him in the air and catching him! He'll love that!"

"Thanks!" She hung up and picked up the boy. "Go sky high!" The girl tossed and caught him a few times but the infant just cried harder. "Not working!" She set him in the carrier again and called Origami. He didn't pick up. She debated calling Rock Bison but he was another boy who probably didn't know the first thing about babies. She needed a girl. Fire Emblem picked up, he was girly, right?

"Hello, honey! What's up?" Pao-Lin explained the situation quickly. "Oh! Give him a big kiss and a cuddle! He'll love that!" _That's the same thing Sky High said! _

"But that's girly! I can't do girly!"

"Try it, honey. I can hear the kid loud and clear through the phone."

"Okay!" Pao-Lin set her phone down and gave the baby a big, sloppy smooch and a cheek cuddle. Sam stopped crying, eyes wide in confusion. The girl smiled and then cringed as Sam started up again full force. "Didn't work! Bye!" She hung up on the boy-girl and called Karina. She told the blonde to Google it. "But I don't have access to the internet!"

"Not my problem. Bye." Running out of girls to call, Pao-Lin tried Barnaby, he was smart, and he would know what to do.

"How did you get my number?" The older boy asked incredulously.

"Tigress gave it to me, but how do I stop him from screaming?"

"I haven't had much experience with children so all the ideas you've told me seemed fine. I'd call the old lady; she took a course on infants in school. It's the only class she passed with flying colors besides gym. Try her." Pao-Lin was getting desperate enough to do it. She called the hospital and asked for Tetsuko Kaburagi. The staff paged her through when she told them she was a friend and the brunette picked up with a bright, "What's up?"

"Tigress, how do I stop a baby from crying?"

"Why do you have a baby?"

"I'm babysitting!" The girl shouted over the crying.

"Okay, calm down. Did you say hello to him?"

"What?" Pao-Lin was confused.

"He's probably scared because mom and dad are gone, so pick up the kid gently and let him know that you're here for him until his parents get back." Tetsuko explained, her smooth voice soothing the frazzled girl.

"Okay, that makes sense, but how do I hold him?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, you'll need to pick him up under his armpits, gently, and put the back of his head near your shoulder, by your armpit. Then you support his back and bum with one arm and wrap the other on the outside of his body."

"Okay." Pao-Lin put down the phone and turned to the child. Big fat tears were running down his face and her heart broke a little. She picked him up again and did as Tigress instructed. He quieted a little but was still sniffling. The girl felt like she could break him. "Okay, what's next?" She had maneuvered the phone between her shoulder and ear without dropping the baby.

"Does he stink? A dirty diaper will make him uncomfortable." Pao-Lin could only smell her own nervous sweat.

"Nope."

"Okay, and if he's not hungry you'll just need to hold him for a bit. Rock him or softly bounce him. Babies like a little movement. It might even make him sleepy." Tigress explained how to safely heat up a bottle of milk on the stove and gave the girl a few more tips before telling her to visit sometime.

"Thanks!"

"Anytime. Call me if you need anything else!"

"Sure! You're the first person I'm calling next time!"

"Yeah, just make sure it's not about toddlers or young kids. Babies love me but the older ones hate me for some reason. Who else did you call?"

"Everyone."

"They're all idiots."

"Yeah, they really are." The girls shared a laugh before Tigress hung up. "She's really nice, you know. Weird, but nice." Pao-Lin bounced Sam around and he cooed in delight. They giggled and then the girl settled him down on her lap so they could watch T.V. together. She fed and burped him with little fuss, actually beginning to enjoy herself. They had a game of tickles where the girl would say, "here I come!" and then tickle the baby in the stomach. He'd squeal and laugh even after she'd stopped attacking him with her fingers. After a few hours, Pao-Lin decided that she really should go thank Tigress and got Sam ready to go out by putting him in his coat and bundling him up in his carrier.

"What do ya say we go for a walk?" Pao-Lin asked Sam. He cooed and that was good enough for her. The sun hadn't set yet so there was still time to get there and back without traveling in the dark. The pair set off to the hospital, taking the train and then a bus to reach their destination. The whole time Sam was quiet, gazing wide eyed at everything around him. People kept complimenting on her "little brother's" behavior and she made up some story about how her parents adopted him and they loved him like he was really their own. By the time she got to the hospital Sam had a fan following. "You're a magnet for compliments, you know that?" Pao-Lin smiled at the baby when a strong gust of wind yanked the flower hat right off his head. "Oh no!" She ran after it, carefully holding the carrier to her chest so not to jostle the baby. She snatched the hat right out of the air and carefully placed it back on the child's head. "We wouldn't want to lose your special hat, now would we? Come one, we've got to visit Tiger." They checked in at the desk and were escorted to the room where the brunette was staying until tomorrow when she'd be cleared to go home. Apparently they'd walked in on friend-time because all of Pao-Lin's friends were clustered around the hospital bed.

"Ow! Quit poking! It hurts!" Tigress wailed as Blue Rose prodded her bandaged shoulder.

"Seriously, how do you always end up in the hospital? You just need a fast pass." The blonde stopped her poking and leaned back on her hip.

"It's not like a plan to end up in the ER!"

"Yes, but you don't plan anything." Barnaby pushed his glasses up on his nose.

"Shut up, Bunny!"

"But we want _you_ to shut up. Your bitching is giving me a headache." Rock Bison rumpled the brunette's hair, earning him a glare.

"They why are you visiting me? Get out!"

"Don't act that way! We were worried! And again, worried!" Sky High gestured wildly with his hands as he spoke, almost whacking Fire Emblem in the face.

"Yes, sweetie. We wanted to make sure you were alright." Fire Emblem sat on the edge of her bed and patted her leg.

"I'm so alright, they've pumped me full of painkillers that now I'm seeing two of you and that's not something I'd ever want to see!"

"Be nice!" The black man playfully smacked her leg.

"Seriously, how can you all fit in here? I'd be surprised if we could get anyone else through the door!"

"You did actually, plus a baby carrier!" Pao-Lin made her presence known as she unbuckled Sam and hoisted him into her arms.

"Pao-Lin! What brings you were?" Sky High patted her on the shoulder. Sam sniffled at the loud man and the girl had to quiet him down again.

"Hey, how's it going with the baby?" Tetsuko strained to sit up further to see the girl. She winced in pain and Barnaby put his hand gently on her shoulder so she could lean on him.

"Much better. Thanks for the advice, Tigress!" Pao-Lin introduced Sam to everyone as she made her way to Tiger's bedside.

"Tets gave you advice about babies?" Fire Emblem looked doubtful.

"Yes, much better than your kissing idea. He just wanted to be held."

"What did you tell her to do to the baby?" Tigress pointed her finger at the flamboyantly dressed man.

"Just to give him a smooch!"

"I told her to Google how to babysit." Blue Rose flipped her hair.

"I missed her call. Sorry, Pao-Lin." Origami apologized.

"He didn't like being tossed. He didn't like it." Sky High's smiled only wavered a little.

"I told her to call you." Barnaby made the injured girl sit back again now that their newest visitor had taken a seat in the only chair.

"You did?"

"I went through your records a few weeks ago and found out that you actually passed a child development course with an A-."

"You went through my records? You hypocrite!"

"Good thing he did or else I'd still have a screaming kid." Pao-Lin passed Sam to Tigress and helped the girl hold the baby with her good arm.

"I'll forgive him this time." She flipped her hair at the other blond. "He seems like a really sweet kid," she said regarding the infant. Sam started to sniffle again after a few minutes of being doted on by Tigress and Pao-Lin had to take him back.

"He seems to only get along with me, though."

"He's sweet on you. Some kids are like that." The friends talked and argued for another hour or so before a nurse came in and shooed everyone out. Apparently they had to change Tigress' bandages and the brunette didn't want to flash anyone. Visiting hours were also almost over. Sky High called goodbye to everyone, saying he had to go walk his dog. Blue Rose left without calling a goodbye, Antonio had the night off from work and ran off to do something, Origami left silently like a ninja, and Fire Emblem went off into the night doing whatever it was he did at night. Barnaby was the only one who had permission to stay until Tiger's mother showed up.

Pao-Lin got back to Sam's house with little incident, she'd only had to punch the lights out of a trio of girl's who'd tried to kidnap her and the baby. They were still probably passed out in a back alley. "We had a good night didn't we?" Sam was fast asleep in his crib as the girl talked quietly. "Don't worry; I'll be here tomorrow too. You're mommy and daddy won't be back until the afternoon, so we've got all day to play together." She smiled and looked at his cute hat again, thinking of the purple pin her parent's had sent her last week. She didn't like it when she saw it, but now she felt like wearing flowers as she drifted off to sleep.

Part 2

Karina's Big Tip

The first time Karina Lyle had sung at a gig that wasn't Hero's Bar related she'd been so nervous. It had to be something about the costume she wore. When she was Blue Rose, nobody really knew who she was, so she could be whoever she wanted to be. It was like putting on a mask. Only now that she was out of costume, she was being herself and that scared her. Karina had practically tripped over her black heels getting on the stage that first time and when she'd looked out into the audience she nearly fainted onto the piano keys. Vowing to never again to put herself out like that without blue hair, she was surprised when a manager of another bar asked if she could perform for his business. Apparently she was better than she thought she was. She took the job and after that, she'd taken more little side jobs so she could sing something that wasn't hero-themed. Karina actually began to like performing as herself. Her piano skills had greatly improved as well and the blonde loved the applause she received after each song, it was very addicting. As Karina left her boob-obsession sitting in the hospital, she recalled the first time the girl had caught her at another gig, blushing at the mere memory. It had been so embarrassing!

_Karina had a bad case of jitters tonight. She breathed deeply to calm herself but the butterflies wouldn't go away. Her body was on hyper drive, and being this nervous wasn't good. "It's just one song, Karina. Shape up, nothing's going to go wrong." She coached, quietly whispering under her breath. She smoothed out her black dress and checked to make sure her strappy heels hadn't come unbuckled in all the pacing the girl had done in the past fifteen minutes. "What is wrong with me?" She tapped her foot impatiently, the toe rapping against the wood in irritation. The faster this got over with, the faster she could calm down. _

_"Karina, you're up next." One of the bar's attendants called to her from where she was standing by the counter._

_"I know that," her irritation shown through her voice. She wasn't mad at the guy; her jumpy nerves were setting her on edge. "That's why I'm standing here."_

_"Hey, it's just a reminder." The brunette man shrugged his shoulders at her as he walked away. _

_"Sorry. Thanks for the reminder." Karina didn't want him to complain to his boss about her behavior. She usually didn't act like this. _

_"Anytime, Lyle." He smiled, all was forgiven. The current performers left the stage, (two guys and a girl) their jazzy tones hovering in the air behind them. Karina took another one of those cleansing breaths that was supposed to calm her down but did absolutely nothing. She walked up to the piano, the spotlight dimming to create a more soothing atmosphere as she sat down on the bench. Her fingers splayed across the keys, waiting to press down on the ivories. The first cord struck the room with honest simplicity and Karina felt her butterflies settle and she began to sing with confidence she hadn't felt three seconds ago. Music always did that to her. It calmed her soul and let her speak honestly to anyone that was listening. But she made the mistake of letting her eyes wander during her performance._

_There, sitting at one of the bar's counters was Tetsuko Kaburagi, a drink in her hand that Karina hoped wasn't alcohol, and giving her that goofy grin she always wore while the brunette tipped her newsboy cap. She had on an emerald button up and had pushed up the sleeves past her elbows, black short shorts, her dorky tie and black and white Oxford shoes that showed her white ankle socks. Tetsuko was the only one who Karina knew could pull off the retro look without even trying. The butterflies were back. Nearly stumbling over the keys, Karina didn't look her direction for the rest of the song, stalwartly keeping her eyes away from the brunette as she finished up, leaving the words "My Song" hanging in the air like clouds. She opened her eyes; not realizing that she'd closed them, and was met by her upperclassman leaning on the piano. _

_"What are you doing here?"She covered up her surprise in irritation. She'd gotten caught and now had to face the girl in front of her._

_"Muramasa had to make a delivery and bullied me into helping. He needed to leave but I asked him to pick me up later when I saw you were going to perform." She tipped back her newsboy cap and winked at the blonde. "Not bad. You're pretty serious about this singing stuff, aren't you? It's not just a high school gig, right?"_

_"It's what I love to do." Karina stood up and left the stage for the next performer. She was tailed by Tetsuko, much to her dismay. All of a sudden, something green was shoved in her face. "What's that?" She took the dollar bill, crumpled from being in a pocket for who knows how long._

_"It's a tip. It's not very much, but you've got a nice voice and I wanted to show you that I appreciate your talent. If you really want to be a singer, I say go for it. Do what you love." The brunette smiled even bigger and tapped her Oxfords on the floor. _

_"Thanks, but you've heard me sing at work." Karina pointed out, folding up the dollar bill nicely._

_"Yeah, but this time you got to sing what you wanted to. It's nice to hear your own voice instead of some popped up superhero theme song. I didn't even know you played the piano. You're full of surprises, ya know?"_

_"That's a good thing right?" _

_"Yeah."_

_"Well then, thanks."_

_"And thanks again, right?" They laughed at the lame joke, but Karina really meant it. It felt nice to hear someone who knew her appreciate the work she'd put into her singing. "You're welcome, Karina." Tetsuko reached up and patted her on the head, mussing her hair in the process. _

_"Stop it, I'm not a kid." Karina blushed and pushed her hand away. _

_"You here for a while?"_

_"A bit. I perform again in an hour."_

_"Then let's get a drink!"_

_"As long as you don't spike it. _

_"What do you take me for?" Tetsuko sauntered off toward the bar. _

_"A trouble maker."_

_"Ow! That hurt!" She mock clutched her ample chest which Karina was now staring at. Her own chest seemed so small in comparison when it really wasn't. _

_"It was supposed to!" They sat at the bar and Karina ordered a glass of mineral water and Tetsuko picked up her abandoned glass._

_"What's in there?"_

_"Water." The brunette took a sip. Karina sniffed the air experimentally._

_"Funny, it smells like booze."_

_"Well, there _was _water in it at some point." The senior showed the blonde a flask she'd hidden in her pocket. The girl shook her waves at the brunette. "'Masa will never miss it. He aged this stuff so long it lost all its color. Now I've got, like, twenty bottles stashed away." _

_"You're unbelievable! What is it anyway."_

_"Shochu." They sipped their drinks for a minute until a man's wallet fell out of his pocket while he was getting up to leave. Tetsuko ran to pick it up. She stopped the man and handed the wallet back politely. The man proceeded to shoot the girl a dirty look and thoroughly check the contents of his wallet and then thank her with a huff. He left and Tetsuko returned to her seat with the biggest smile on her face. _

_"Why do you do that?"_

_"Do what?"_

_"Help people. That guy obviously thought you'd stolen from him. I mean, some people don't want your help, but you do it anyways. I see you do it all the time with people's groceries and getting cats out of trees like some stereotypical fireman. Why get involved when you're not wanted?" Both girls were quiet for a moment. _

_"Let's think about this: why do you sing?" _

_"I love singing and I want to share my voice with the entire world someday." _

_"Same goes for me. I love helping people, so I do it. What other reason do I need? If others acknowledge what I do, that doesn't really matter to me." Tetsuko paid for the water she'd ordered and took her shochu with her on the way out. "Keep singing, Karina. I just hope you let Ben know you're doing this."_

_"Of course he knows! You're the only one who doesn't tell him when you're running off!" The brunette chuckled and went to wait for her brother, leaving a blonde and a dollar bill alone in a bar where the only good thing was the music. _

Karina smiled fondly at the memory as she sat down at the same piano, hands hovering over the keys, waiting for the right moment to start. _This one's for you, Boobs. _Karina began her song, the lyrics meaning so much to her and the girl she relied on to back her up when she was in trouble.

"I will stand by you. I will help you through when you've done all you can do and you can't cope. I will dry your eyes. I will fight your fight. I will hold you tight and I won't let you go." _Half the reason I keep trying is because I know you'll kick my ass if I give up on my dream, Tetsuko. So I'll keep going even if you're not there to hear me sing every time. Just make sure you're there when I become a star or else I'll kick _your _ass. _Karina sang and sang like she never wanted to quit and the whole time she smiled, like she had someone to sing for every time she opened her mouth.

Part 3

Antonio's Night Out

Antonio walked out into the cool evening air, reveling in the nightlife of the city. Flashing lights, crowded sidewalks and the sound of millions of footsteps echoed around him. He felt at a loss for what to do. It was his night off from work and his wingman was in the hospital milking her injury for as much as she could get off it. He shook his head at 'Suko, knowing she'd try to sneak out sometime in the night so people would stop worrying about her. _But now what do I do? We were supposed to hang out tonight, but she just had to fall off a building. _Antonio looked around and decided the best thing to do was drive until something struck him.

The bull-man took the speedway out into Bronze, hoping the familiar territory would inspire him to do something. He passed the movie theater that the three of them got kicked out all the time because Tetsuko insisted on smuggling beer in and Antonio would always get into arguments about the plot with Tomoe (way to loudly), especially if there were heroes involved. Tomoe was the expert on heroes, even better than Tetsuko and Antonio himself. They'd banter and joke all the time about which hero was the best, but it seemed every time they entered the movie theater, their little arguments would turn into full on fights, which Tetsuko slept through because she'd passed out from alcohol consumption. He chuckled at the memory and moved on, not wanting to pay for admission just to sit alone with no one to talk to. Chances were he'd end up getting kicked out because he harassed someone in the row in front of him about something they commented on during the film.

Antonio drove on, taking the streets at a leisurely pace. _There's that karaoke place that Tetsuko would drag us to because she said their song selection was the best and there's that smoothie place Tomoe loved. I remember that store! They always sold trading cards at half-off on Wednesdays. Oh, and there's that alley that Tetsuko and I got into our first street fight. _Antonio pulled over and idled at the entrance between the buildings, remembering that fight from his childhood.

Tetsuko had been the one to beat in her elementary school and her reputation had almost rivaled Antonio's. He and his gang had always hung around Bronze in hope of catching the girl on her way home from school, to put her in her place, but they always missed her somehow. Until that day, of course. Antonio and his goons had cornered her in the alleyway, set on beating the ever-lovin' shit out of her. The Spaniard chuckled at the first thing Tetsuko had ever said to him, right before the six-grade punk punched him in the face, the proper uniform completely hiding the wild animal under a pretty skit and bow tie.

_"You're a big bully and I hate bullies! If you can't use your strength to help people you're not even worth horseshit!" She'd charged, spiky hair flying in her face and landed a good one right on his jaw. Then everybody jumped in, but she'd somehow managed to beat back everyone except Antonio. Bruised, and scuffed up, Tetsuko wiped off the blood gushing from her nose and squared up to face the leader of the gang. Antonio had to admire her bravery, nobody before this chick had ever stood up to him. He had growled obscenities at her in Spanish and she did the same in Japanese as they slugged it out for nearly an hour until they collapsed. Tetsuko held her ground a few seconds longer before slumping against a wall, declaring her the winner. _

_"You're not bad, Kaburagi." Antonio panted out._

_"You're not bad either. You've just got the wrong idea about what to do with yourself." Tetsuko crawled over to her abandoned backpack and pulled out her pack of tissues to hand them to the boy. "Your nose is bleeding." Antonio took the tissues and stuffed a few up his nose, surprised she'd offered them to her enemy. _

_"What do you mean?" His voice was hoarse from all the shouting and running he'd done in the fight. _

_"About your nose? I think I nearly broke it when I-"_

_"No, about me. What did you mean? I use my strength to get to the top. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"_

_"Sure that works, but is caring about yourself all you can do?" Tetsuko had scooted over to Antonio at this point and sat next to him, leaning her back on the graffiti sprayed onto wall. _

_"Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Put yourself first?" Antonio handed back the tissues and pointed to her cheek, returning the favor. "Your cheek's split."_

_"Thanks." She wiped up the blood and began talking again. "That's what everyone else thinks. Put yourself first, you're the most important, look out for number one, but I think strength should be used to help the weak. Like Mr. Legend does!"_

_"You like Mr. Legend? I watch his show every week!" Antonio was excited to find someone else that still watched the old action series._

_"Me too!" _And that's how it all started. Tetsuko had become his best friend, crazy morals and all, and Antonio left his gang. They'd met Tomoe that next year in middle school and became inseparable. The man smiled and drove on, merging back into traffic effortlessly. They'd come a long way from the scruffy kids fighting in back alleys. Antonio had been the best wrestler in both his schools, Tomoe had shaped Tetsuko up and was on track to become Valedictorian in high school and Tetsuko had won a few tournaments for boxing. But that had all stopped when Tomoe died.

Antonio shook away all those dark thoughts, determined not to spend his one night off wallowing in the past. He was just about ready to go home and watch reruns of old professional wrestling matches when he spotted Scarlet. The girl was walking on his side of the street in her purple dress and blue jacket. She also wore her signature pink and yellow scarf wrapped securely around her neck.

"Hey, Scarlet!" Antonio pulled over again and rolled down the window to talk with his co-worker.

"Hi, 'Tonio! What are you doing?" Scarlet blew her light brown hair out of her face and turned her honey colored eyes towards Antonio. She was carrying books in her arms, a testament to her study session at the library. Scarlet was in an intensive program at her college-prep academy and she'd even take off work at Gyu-Kaku sometimes just to study.

"Nothing, just finished visiting my friend in the hospital. The screw up I told you about." Antonio leaned over the passenger seat as Scarlet rested her textbooks on the window sill.

"Oh her! She's in the hospital again?" The Spaniard picked out her cute little moles beneath the corners of each of her eyes, deciding the brunette was too cute for her own good.

"Yeah, but this time it was Lunatic's fault. Her and her partner cornered him on a roof and he took as shot at 'Suko."

"Is she going to be alright?"

"If she's already complaining about the lack of mayonnaise in the hospital's cafeteria then she'll be causing trouble by tomorrow."

"That's good I guess." They laughed quietly and a lull in the conversation made Antonio speak up again.

"Do you have work tonight?"

"Nope. Just got done studying and I was heading home." Scarlet adjusted her books, getting ready to walk again.

"Wanna go to dinner? I'll buy."

"Are you sure? I still have some things to do for school…" She looked to the side, trying to imply that she really wanted to do more studying but failing.

"Yeah. Come on! It'll be fun! I won't keep you too long. Besides, you need a break once in a while."

"Okay, but only if you buy." She opened the door and hopped in the cap. Antonio was just glad he cleaned out the beer bottles from the last time he and Tetsuko had drunk themselves silly. Scarlet would've ripped him a new one about the mess and gotten right out again, dinner or no dinner.

"I was planning on buying anyways." He put the truck in drive.

"And it better not be barbeque. I'm sick of that stuff."

"I'm not."

"Well, not all of us have iron stomachs."

"So, how about Italian then? I know a great noodle place not far from here."

"Sure, I'm up for it." And then the couple went off on their impromptu date. They talked about work and school and Scarlet tried to convince Antonio that applying for college next semester was going to be his best bet right now, but he told her that he promised Tetsuko that he'd wait for her so she didn't feel so stupid. She laughed at the man and called him a softie. Antonio asked her how her prep classes where going and Scarlet replied that she was drowning in work, but staying above the waves as best she could. They made it to the café without any incidents and Antonio persuaded the girl to order the parmesan chicken on a bed of noodles, it was the house special. They chatted about movies and books that Antonio should read if he ever got out of the gym to read them and the conversation slowly boiled down to a comfortable silence as they slurped their noodles.

"I'm glad you asked me out. I've been so stressed lately that I haven't had any time just to hang out with anyone." Scarlet smiled as she pointed to Antonio's face, he'd gotten sauce on his cheek. "Here, let me get it." She brushed his hand out of the way and used her napkin to wipe up the mess.

"Thanks." Antonio blushed and smiled back. "I'm always a text away if you need to get away from school."

"You're so helpful, 'Tonio. Most people at work think you're a delinquent or a bad guy, but you're nothing like that. I know you told me you were in a gang a while back, but it makes me wonder how a rough guy like you ever developed that kind of morals if you really were a troublemaker."

"Oh, it was nothing really. I just learned from the best, once I got some sense smacked into me." Antonio smiled and asked for the waiter. He definitely wanted some dessert after that compliment. He drove Scarlet home after dinner and waited until she'd gotten inside. _Tonight was a good night, _Antonio told himself as he drove home, still intent on watching those wresting re-runs.

Part 4

A Goodman's Best Friend

Keith loved his dog. John was his best friend in many ways and his companion in hard times. One of his most favorite things to do with the golden Labrador was going for their nightly walks around Sternbild that let Keith connect with the people. He loved being out and friendly with everyone who walked by him and John was just as friendly, licking and barking happily strangers who passed by his wagging tail. After stopping off at the hospital to visit Tetsuko, the blond had gone home to get his friend and take the dog out for their nightly walk. His mother had asked him to go grab some things from the store while he was out and always happy to help, Keith took off to kill two birds with one stone.

After stopping at the grocery store (John had waited patiently outside for him) they headed for the park. Keith had stopped to look at some ads posted on a billboard when John snatched his leash of the blonde's hand and ran off.

"John! Come back! Heel!" Keith took off after his pet, careful not to drop the bag of food in his hands. The chase felt like it hauled him halfway across Silver, the dog ignoring all of his commands and staying just out of reach. In reality, the run only lasted a few minutes and took him to the park they were originally headed for. John stopped in front of a bench and growled at the girl sitting there. Keith was star struck. The girl had bone-white hair and pale skin with the most beautiful blue eyes. She wore a striking red dress and white ruffled jacket with a headband to match. She stared straight ahead, not looking at the animal barking at her. Keith kneeled and tried to sooth the agitated dog.

"Cut it out, John." He petted the pooch's fur softly and looked up at the girl. "Sorry about that ma'am."

"I am fine." Her voice was hollow, but sad at the same time.

"Oh, good." Keith got John to sit next to the bench and took a seat himself, right next to the girl. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"No."

"Oh." Keith didn't know where to start. The girl still wasn't looking at him. "He's a pretty good dog most of the time."

"Alright." Her response startled the blond. He looked away suddenly nervous and commented on the weather.

"It's a beautiful evening." The clouds were a pretty mix between pink and orange with just a hint of purple higher up in the sky.

"It is." She stared up where Keith's eyes were looking just a moment ago. Now he was looking at her, wondering what her name was.

"What's your name?"

"Cis."

"Well, Cis, it's very nice to meet you." Keith held out his hand around his groceries. She looked at his hand, her blue eyes blank and eventually took hold and shook it. Her hands were soft but cold. She didn't say anything after the handshake and Keith felt a little uncomfortable again, like something was wrong. But nothing was wrong. The park was teeming with people, but not enough to be claustrophobic and the fountain behind them was making merry water noises. Nothing was wrong, but it felt like something was wrong. Even John was nervously scratching his ears with his back paws. He only did that had home when no one but Keith was around. "So, do you come here often?"

"No." Well that killed any conversation dealing with the park.

"Do you have any pets? Like a dog?"

"No." So much for talking about animals.

"That hair band is an interesting shade of red. My favorite color. Is it yours?"

"No." That threw all conversations about clothes and girl fashions out the window. And Keith had even asked Nathan to coach him on fashion so he could relate to girls just a little bit. _Just my luck. I finally meet a girl that's not obsessed with Barnaby Brook Jr. and she'd not even into fashion or dogs. _Keith's popularity had dropped this year with the arrival of the new hall monitor and at first he'd taken it very hard. It was not fun not being looked up to by the students, but with time, he and his rival had gotten better at getting along. The hall monitor and the SBO president respected each other and with Tetsuko Kaburagi as a go-between for all their friends, Barnaby was beginning to feel like one of the gang. But it still hurt, just a little, not to be the one that everyone wanted advice from or would go to when they had a problem.

"Would you mind if I got some things off my chest?"

"No." That answer worked for him!

"You see, I used to be the best at what I did, until recently, and now nothing seems to click at all. It's not that I crave the spotlight at my school, but everyone used to have these expectations of me, and I don't want to let anyone down. But I feel like I failed at what I'm supposed to do and I don't know how to fix it. And with the way things have worked out at school recently, I'd be better off quitting and letting this other guy take my place."

"Why?"

"Because he's popular and well liked and so much better at what he does than I am. I'm worried that everyone will lose faith in me."

"Why?"

"Because, because…I don't know." Keith felt lost and confused, but a little better now that he'd told someone, even if she was a complete stranger. "Sorry for unloading like that, especially to someone I've just met." Silence ensued and John yawned. "Look, it's late. Can I walk you home?" Keith's Good Samaritan act came out as he offered his free hand to Cis. John would follow him anywhere, on or off the leash.

"I am fine." Cis looked at him with her deep blue eyes, calm and collected like Keith wanted to be.

"Then, I'll see you later. Goodnight." Keith left the girl on her bench and thought about her while John walked him home. "She was nice. Maybe I'll meet her again sometime." John barked at him. "I know. Let's get home, John." Keith sped up the pace, holding onto his companion's leash like an anchor. They got home and deposited the groceries on the table. John followed Keith up to his room. Keith too the bed and John took the floor, expectantly waiting for Keith to tell him about his day.

"Well John, school was fine. I helped some students settle a debate before it turned into a fight, my administration came up with a few great solutions for stopping littering on school grounds, Pao-Lin called me looking for baby advice and I visited Tetsuko today in the hospital. She's as lively as usual and really, really cranky. Karina wouldn't stop poking her hurt shoulder and Antonio kept teasing her. Barnaby was there to calm everyone down and Nathan kept pinching Antonio's butt. Pao-Lin showed up later with Sam. He's the baby she was looking after when she called me. And then I came home, had a snack and took you for a walk where we met that nice girl." Keith paused, staring up at the ceiling. "I think today was a good day. Hopefully tomorrow will be the same." _Maybe I'll stop by the park again and see if Cis is there. Or maybe I won't see her ever again. _John licked Keith's hand, whining sympathetically when he saw that his master's face was sad. Keith chuckled and scratched the dog's ears. "Thanks, John. I know that you'll always be here for me. You're such a good dog." John barked, as if reminding Keith he still had things to do but was grateful for the praise. "Alright! Let's get this homework done! I've got to keep on my A game if I'm going to be a help to anyone at school tomorrow!" John settled on the ground, ready for a nap while Keith took out his backpack and prepared to spend the night studying if he needed to. So many people were counting on him and he didn't want to let anyone down.

And once the lights had been all turned off, one big golden Labrador snuck up onto his master's bed and fell asleep with his muzzle on Keith's chest, letting him know that he'd always be there. On the bad days and the good days.

Part 5

Ivan's Phone Call

_This is going to be awkward, _Ivan said to himself as he stared at the phone. It seemed like a good idea when he left the hospital, but now he wasn't so sure. _What if he doesn't want to talk? What if I leave a message and he doesn't answer me? _Ivan's doubts were swirling around his head like demons and he couldn't sort them out. _I'll just do it! _He picked up his cell phone and called the prison. He ended up leaving a message for Edward that kind of when like this:

_"Hey Edward, its Ivan. I'd like to talk to you if you want, sorta try to start over. But if you don't that's okay but you know where to find me. Well, not where to find me since you can't leave prison yet- oh I shouldn't bring that up should I? Sorry I'll shut up about that now- but give me a call if you want to talk. But if you don't that's okay. Bye now, I guess." _

"I'm such an idiot! I sound like a dork and I rambled and he probably hates me for putting him back in prison and most likely doesn't want to talk to me at all and, and, ug!" Ivan collapsed on his bed and wallowed in embarrassment and frustration. He threw ninja stars at a dartboard to vent some anger and then folded origami to calm his nerves. He tried meditating to clear his head and attempted to do some homework to pass the time. Ivan then resorted to reading manga and Japanese magazines to get some new material for his Origami Cyclone routine. The whole time he was waiting for the phone to ring, it had become the elephant in the room that just wouldn't leave.

He took a walk outside for a half an hour, watching what few stars there were and practicing ninja moves on the sidewalk. His phone didn't ring the whole time. He came home hot and sweaty from his exercise and sat in his bedroom staring at his Japanese posters. He left the room to take a shower, the hot water turning the bathroom into a sauna in the process. When he got back he dashed to his phone, still dripping wet and towel-less.

No new messages.

The blond put on his sleeping yukata and tied it firmly shut. His family called him down to dinner where Ivan just wished he could have a bowl of Miso soup, his stomach to upset with the impending doom of a phone call to hold anything down. He was the last to the table and the first to leave; dashing upstairs to flip open his phone for the millionth time.

No new messages.

Ivan nearly screamed in frustration and chucked his phone against the bed where it bounced off and slid into the crack by the wall. The blond flopped onto his futon and buried his face in the pillow, defeated. _He's not going to call me. He hates me. I hate me. Why does this always happen? I always screw things up. _Ivan dozed off for a while, until a shrill ringing ripped him out of sleep. His arm had gotten pinned under his body and was completely numb. He shook it until pins and needles crawled up his skin like a jorogumo while he fumbled under the bed for his cell phone. He reached it on the last ring and opened the call.

"Hello?" Ivan opened and closed his hand, trying to get it to work properly again while holding the phone in between his head and shoulder.

"Do you know how late it is?" A gruff voice asked through the phone.

"Edward!" Some of Ivan's tension receded now that his friend had called him back, but the bad thing was, what had he called Ivan for? To tell him to never contact him again? Or to try to make things better for their friendship.

"Who else? You called me remember?"

"Yeah, I, I…"

"You sounded like a dork in your message."

"I did? Yeah, I did." Ivan blushed, grateful that he wasn't face to face with Edward. His friend would've laughed at him.

"But I expect that from you." Edward laughed at him anyway. "I had to basically plead to the guards to let me call you. Visiting periods were over hours ago, but I wanted to take your message. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to talk, I guess." Ivan twisted the cloth of his yukata in his now-working hands.

"Do you have any idea why you called me in the first place?" Edward sounded annoyed and Ivan hated when he was annoyed.

"I just wanted to bridge the gap between us and I felt really sorry about getting you put back in prison and I wanted to say sorry about the accident a couple years ago and, and-"

"I forgive you."

"Wha?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah, I did but I can't believe it."

"So, let's start off easy: how's school going?"

"Great! I'm doing well in all my classes for the most part and my friends and I all work at the same restaurant. In fact I have a lot of friends now. Not that it makes you any less not my best friend but I have other people that I can rely on as well as you. Well, I guess I can since you're talking to me now."

"You're rambling again."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. So you have a job now?"

"Yeah, I work at Hero's Bar which is this place that run by Mr. Ben Jackson and we get to wear superhero costumes when we work. My hero name is Origami Cyclone and I've got a really sweet Japanese-looking suit. I'll show you some pictures sometime when I come to visit."

"I'd really like that."

"Oh and I work with a girl we call Dragon Kid and she's a middle school kung-fu champion and she's friends with Blue Rose who wears the skimpiest costume I've ever seen but Wild Tigress' is now worse than hers. She's seriously not wearing anything basically and I blush every time I look at her. It's a good thing I wear a mask or else Fire Emblem wouldn't let me hear the end of it. He's gay and likes to pinch Rock Bison's butt all time but he likes Sky High's as well and Barnaby's. Mine too."

"He pinches butts?"

"Yep. All the time."

"I don't want to meet him."

"He's really okay, and has great fashion sense but I don't like his butt pinching either."

"Who's this Sky High?" Edward asked.

"Sky High's this really awesome guy who's actually the SBO president at my school. He's got a really nice dog and is nice to everyone, even people he hates!" Ivan paused here, thinking. "I actually don't know if he hates anyone."

"And Rock Bison?"

"He used to work at Hero's Bar but he got a better offer and took it. That's why Mr. Jackson had to hire Barnaby. You met him the other day with Tigress. She's the girl that's paired with him. She's in the hospital because Lunatic shot her and had to have surgery on her shoulder. She fell off a building, that klutz."

"It wasn't my fault, right?" Edward sounded concerned.

"No, she'd have gotten shot even if you hadn't been there. That's just the way she is, but apparently Barnaby stayed with her the whole night afterwards. He really did think it was his fault. Of course, Tigress brushed it off as nothing but when Blue Rose was poking her arm tonight it really looked like it hurt. I feel sorry for her. She likes to be up and moving but is now confined to a hospital bed for, like, _days."_

"Tough break."

"So, how are you doing?"

"Fine I guess. I don't know how much longer I'll be in here, so any visits will be nice."

"I'll visit you."

"I'd appreciate that Ivan." They talked about mundane things, and Ivan figured that Edward just wanted to hear what was going on in the outside world. So the blond told him everything he could and promised again to visit soon.

"Bye, Ivan."

"Bye, Edward." Ivan hung up, and sunk back onto his futon. He clicked on his pictures and scrolled through all the old snapshots of him and Edward. They looked so happy. Maybe they could be happy again, be best friends again. The boy scrolled past images of him and his new friends, hoping that someday all of them could hang out together. Even if Ivan was always in the background, at least he was happy. And photo bombing always left him many opportunities to get the best pictures. Like that one he just passed where Nathan had a handful of Antonio's butt. And the one where Pao-Lin and Keith tried sushi for fun once and spit it out in each other's faces. And the one where Karina had chest raped Tetsuko in the school yard (yes, he was taking hentai pictures at the time while trying not the look). Also that one where Tetsuko was flipping Barnaby off behind his back. All these were precious to Ivan and hopefully one day he could share them with Edward too.

_I think he'll like meeting everyone for real next time he's out of prison. _Ivan got ready for bed as he flipped off the light, hiding a few throwing stars under his pillow when he crawled under the covers. Feeling significantly better, it didn't take the boy long to fall asleep, plans of visiting his impounded friend already dissipating into his dreams, just waiting to become reality.

Part 6

Seymour in the Night

_People are so guarded during the day, hiding all their secrets from the daylight, but at night things are different and anyone who looks gets the chance to see more than there appears to be. Its time to go spy! _True to his thoughts, Nathan had some snooping to do. He prided himself on being well informed about everything and everyone and was not above using dirty methods to get what he wanted. He knew Keith had met a girl in the park and the pinkette had listened in on Ivan's phone call to Edward, surprised that the blond talked so much. He didn't need to follow Pao-Lin because she brought the adorable baby boy to him and his driver tailed Antonio on his sort of-not really date. The black man had gotten madder with each passing mile, watching _his _sweetcheeks flirting with a girl! _How dare he take some other girl to dinner! I'm right here, you know! _

Nathan pulled his flamboyantly furred coat around his shoulder, the pink and black mess tickling his skin. The transvestite stewed in the back of his car, binoculars plastered to his face as he watched his 'Tonio and that girl laugh at something. His driver was parked on the other side of the street, discretely in the most perfect spot for Nathan's spying. Said boy was glaring at the girl, but the viciousness was undermined by a huge yawn. He set down the binoculars to make notes about his night. _Not as productive as I'd like it to be. Nothing really sizzling going on. This evening's almost as bad as the night I looked up Handsome's past for Tetsuko. _Nathan had spent hours in the library that night they were attacked by that robot, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle both he and the brunette had managed to gather. That and he was definitely not walking up seventy floors to his penthouse while the elevators were out of commission.

The past was more horrible than they could've imagined.

Barnaby's parents were famous roboticists, working on projects that were creating the first androids until their untimely deaths. Murdered, they were murdered and right in front of their four year old son. A fire had consumed the mansion where they lived and Barnaby was passed into the Brooks' good friend Principal Maverick, who had him educated far away from the city where his family was killed. Barnaby had only returned to Sternbild to continue searching for the murderer as far as Nathan knew. He sighed and put his pen down.

"I'm so tired that my feathers are deflating. Let's get something to eat and then get out of here."

"Yes, sir." The driver started the car's engine and drove Nathan to his favorite dive in the Silver Stage. Firelight Club catered to the bisexual and gay community of the city, boasting both attractive men and women for visual pleasure. The dive was strictly professional but one could have some monkey business after hours. For a price, of course. The lively mood of the club usually lifted Nathan's spirits, the low lights and stylish company always caught his attention and excitement. The people here cared about fashion and beauty as much as, if not more than, he did. But tonight it was just not working. The pinkette was emotionally strung out from recent events and a night of snooping and he was dog tired at this point. It wasn't until Sade, his bodacious blonde confidante, wiggled over to his table that he paid attention to anything happening in the club.

"Hey, 'Than, what' got you down, sugar?" Sade and her slinky black dress slid into his booth. She flipped her short, blonde curls and checked her chocolate skin for blemishes. The woman always had an ear to the ground when it came to gossip and she exchanged information with Nathan almost on a daily basis.

"Tonight's just not a good night for gathering information." Sade touched up her red lipstick with her finger while she looked in her bejeweled compact mirror as she listened to her friend. "I just saw my man fetish go on a date with another girl and it bummed me out. Seriously, everyone around me seems to be finding love of some sort except me. Doing this alone isn't fun like it used to be. And I don't mean to discount my driver, but he just stays silent for the most part."

"Yeah, spying on people is more fun when you've got someone to giggle with." Sade popped he gum and leaned over the table as she gazed at her immaculate nails.

"Ooo, I love that shade of coral!" Nathan perked up as he complimented the woman on her fingers.

"I know, right? And I got the polish for such a steal! If you go to the shopping district on the west side of Silver on Tuesdays, all the beauty parlors discount their merchandise. But only if you're in the know." She winked at the boy, glad to see him finally smile. Nathan's fuchsia colored contacts lit up.

"Really? Oh my gawd I've got to go now! I'll probably binge and buy their whole stock!"

"Just what I'd suspect from you."

"Oh, and because I was stalking my crush I now found a great little Italian café that I'll probably never go to because he took that _girl_ on a date there, but here's the address if you want to check it out." Nathan wrote the café's location down on a napkin that Sade promptly folded up and shoved down her boobs.

"Thanks, sugar." She began hashing out her latest gossip as she and boy chatted the hours away. They discussed the finer points of aquamarine and how overrated (but fabulous) glitter nail polish was. The conversation turned to politics at some point and then skipped over the recent attacks by Lunatic and Nathan ended up spilling his adventures to the blonde. She ate up the action like a fat kid with a cake all to himself. By the time Nathan had gotten some and ate it, he felt much better.

"Hey, thanks for the listen, Sade. I don't know what I'd do without you, girl!" Nathan squeezed her in a side-hug.

"You'd be lost without me and you know it!" The woman teased reaching into Nathan's pink pants to grab his phone.

"You know I play for the other team, so don't get any ideas down there!" Nathan giggled as the blonde's had searched for his mobile device.

"I know that, but it doesn't mean we can't be friendly, right?" She yanked out the cell and unlocked it, already knowing Nathan's password. "If you ever need a wingman on your nights out on the town, you give me a call and I'll bail here. They can survive without me." Sade punched in her contact information under "Babe Sade" and handed the device back to the pinkette with a blown kiss.

"Thanks girly! That means a ton to me!" Nathan squealed as he took back his phone.

"Jeeves is back." Sade pointed behind Nathan, letting him know that his driver was here to pick him up.

"Well, I guess it's time to say goodbye, but I'll be back for any new dishes you pick up!" Nathan slid out of the booth, gracefully unfolding himself.

"And I'll be waiting for yours as well, sugar." Nathan was driven home quickly and quietly, the late hour getting to both the chaperone and the chaperoned. _I still have to update my blog, but maybe it can wait until tomorrow. _They passed the hospital where Tetsuko was and Nathan had a moment of premonition about Tetsuko and Barnaby. They had acted mostly normal that evening, but Nathan could tell something had gone down between the partners. _Something was different about them tonight, like they worked stuff out but didn't tell me! Ooo! Now I'm interested! I'll have to watch closely until they slip up and they will slip up because Tetsuko sucks at keeping secrets for too long. _Nathan giggled in his seat, his fire for getting juicy secrets rekindled at the mere thought of stalking the two. _Watch out you two! I'm coming for your butts! _The girl-boy let out an evil cackle and did a little dance in his seat, formulating the perfect plan to begin his stalking.

Part 7

Tetsuko's Kiss

Tetsuko hated waking up in hospitals. It made her think of what she broke to get in there. But this time was different. As she rolled her head to the opposite side of her stiff pillow, she cracked open her eyes to check what time it was. Five 'o'clockish in the afternoon, she guessed. She groaned and clamped her eyes shut again and turned away from the sunlight, tweaking her injured shoulder in the process.

"Kuso!" She muttered as her arm flared up in pain and agony. It did not like being moved at all, even in a sling.

"Was that a swearword?" She finally noticed that she wasn't alone. Bunny was sitting in her visitor's chair, looking not quite put together. His glasses were crooked, he had dark circles under his eyes, his clothes looked slept in and he was uncharacteristically wringing his hands together.

"Yes, it was. 'Shit,' in fact. What are you doing here? You look like you didn't get any sleep last night." The drugs still in her system were making her words come out all slurred and her ears felt stuffed with cotton.

"I didn't sleep. I was worried." Bunny looked away, not meeting the girl's steady gaze.

"About what?"

"You."

"Why?"

"Why?" He asked her in a shocked voice. "You are in the hospital because you took a crossbow bolt, a _flaming _crossbow bolt, to the shoulder and fell off a building all because of me! How could I not be worried?" Bunny stood up began to pace. He looked all worked up and stressed out. Tetsuko hated seeing him that way.

"Aw, that's sweet! You really do care, Bunny!" She laid on the charm thickly to calm the boy.

"Don't joke at a time like this! You could've seriously hurt yourself or worse!" He stopped pacing and slumped back in his chair. "All because I couldn't protect you."

"You didn't need too, this time I protected you, idiot."

"Why? Why did you do it?" He looked up and stared at the girl intently.

"Why did I protect you?" He nodded. "Because we're partners, Bunny. Even if you don't think so, I think of you as my friend so I wanted to protect you. You can't duck worth shit anyways."

"Friends?" He looked doubtful.

"Yeah, friends. It's what normal people call 'family you choose' and I choose you, Bunny. We're friends." Tetsuko smiled at him and reached out her good arm to hold his hand. She couldn't quite reach and scooted her body over gently to get a better angle and ended up jostling her shoulder again. "Kuso!" Bunny snatched her hand up almost desperately.

"Are you okay?" He carefully pulled back the sheets to look at the bandages wrapped around her arm and upper body.

"Ug, I'm wearing pink. I never wear pink." Tetsuko noticed her hospital scrubs in the girlish color and groaned in disgust.

"Are you okay, old lady?" Bunny repeated, insisting on having his question answered.

"Yeah, it looks a lot worse than it feels." She grimaced and began to inch her way into a sitting position. Bunny stood and reached over to brace her back and let the girl sit up. Tetsuko sighed heavily once she was comfortable and glanced at her companion. "Come here." She reached up to the blonde's face and he ducked in closer. She fixed his crooked glasses and then brushed his curls into some semblance of order. _He probably would've done it if he'd seen his face in a mirror. He must really be preoccupied if he can't even do his hair properly! _"What's on your mind, Bunny? And don't say my injuries because we've already established you're concerned about that." Tetsuko leaned back and released the slightly blushing boy. Barnaby sat down and stayed silent for a moment, as if debating whether to broach the subject or just let it drop.

"I care for you." He let it spill out unembellished. Tetsuko couldn't think straight.

"What?"

"I like you, old lady."

"What changed? Yesterday you couldn't stand me!"

"You fell off that stupid building and gave me a heart attack, that's what!" He pinched the bridge of his nose, miffed that she couldn't understand the simplest things. "I thought something horrible had happened when you disappeared from the roof! When you fell, I fell with you. That's when I realized was getting attached. I couldn't imagine any day without you're goofy smile, or meddling ways or you breaking something."

"Ya know, you're the only guy I know can compliment a girl and insult her at the same time." Bunny blushed squirmed in his chair. "So you like me?" Tetsuko waggled her eyebrows at the blonde, "Like, like me like me?" She was touched by his confession. It'd probably been really hard for him to say that, considering that Bunny hid most of his true feelings behind his show pony act. Tetsuko had also been getting used to the blonde, actually wanting to see him most of the time instead of just wanting to irritate him.

"Is that even a sentence?"

"Answer the damn question before I call a nurse in here to kick you out."

"Yes. I like you like you." Bunny stared her straight in the eyes, serious as a funeral.

"Good, because I like you like you too, and probably have for a while now." Bunny looked positively shocked. They looked at each other for a moment, trying to decide if they could work this out. Whatever "this" was. "Are we going to try this?" Tetsuko asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I think we should." Bunny looked like he realized this was the moment that he should kiss her. Tetsuko knew that he knew it was time, but the boy looked scared because the only other kiss they had was initiated by the brunette and they had almost died. So it was kind of a glad-we-didn't-die kiss and not an I-like-you kiss. _I'm getting pretty good at reading between the lines when it comes to Bunny._ Tetsuko was nervous too but she smiled at him like he was the most precious thing in the world and to her, he was at the moment. Right up there next to mayonnaise. He looked like he'd made a decision and Bunny stood up and leaned in closer. Tetsuko closed her eyes, stretching up to him as far as she could and their lips met in the middle.

It was even better than their first kiss. Gentle and sweet, the kiss held all of their raging emotions and unspoken words. Tetsuko hadn't felt this completely at peace in a long time. She felt whole again. Maybe it was her way of finally learning to let go of her past, her Tomoe. _It's time to move on, isn't it Tomoe? I still love you, but maybe I can love Bunny too. _ Bunny threaded his fingers into her hair and stroked her cheek with his other hand. She brought up her good arm and slung her arm around his neck as best she could. They broke apart, but stayed very close, green eyes looking into amber.

"I fell for you." Tetsuko chuckled as how much meaning was packed into those four words.

"I know." Bunny smiled softly and Tetsuko decided he looked even more handsome when he smiled. "Just don't do it again, I don't ever want to feel that way again."

"So you really were worried!"

"I said I was!"

"I didn't believe you."

"You're impossible!" Their banter broke the romantic atmosphere. Good thing too because Bunny had to go home to freshen up and then Pao-Lin called her about baby advice and then _all_ Tetsuko's friends decided to show up at about the same time, including Bunny. Karina poked her arm and everyone made fun of her until a nurse kicked everyone out. Bandaging hurt like hell and her stitches yanked in all the wrong directions, but Bunny got to come back in afterwards so that was okay. He stayed and talked with her (nicely this time) until Tetsuko's kaa-san came to spend the night with her.

"It's gonna feel so awesome to take a shower when I get home! I feel so icky!"

"I'm surprised that you'd pick hygiene out of all the things to complain about." Barnaby was glancing through some papers from the school.

"Was that a barb?" Tetsuko glared at him.

"Maybe."

"Just wait until you're holed up in a bed all day, you won't even complain about the food when you're sitting in your filth all the time."

"My complaint is that the lighting in this room is terrible. The florescence glares off of every surface." Tetsuko huffed and went back to complaining. Anju Kaburagi walked in about an hour later, surprised that the pair hadn't broken anything while they were alone. As the lady settled in for the night, the new couple kissed one last time while the older woman wasn't looking and Bunny took his leave.

The next day what so hectic with all the last minute tests and examinations that the second Tetsuko got home, she wanted to crash into her bed and never wake up. Bunny had insisted that he invite himself over, to make sure she was comfortable, which happened to include lots of pillows, lots of blankets, lots of painkillers and lots of little kisses. She really didn't mind the last two. Bunny helped the girl's kaa-san make dinner and stayed to berate the brunette at her lack of homework she'd completed over the past few weeks. Then they had a study party that Tetsuko fell asleep during because her meds kicked in and Bunny ended up carrying her up into her room and laid the girl on her bed. Tetsuko slept soundly and the blond ended up staying the night in the guest room.

The embarrassing part was that in the morning when she was trying to change by herself, Bunny didn't knock and walked in on her. The girl was in her bra and underwear without her sling, wrestling with her jeans and he just _stared _at her. She didn't notice for a few moments because she was too busy trying to undo the button with one hand since her other was still aching from the surgery.

"Ha!" She triumphantly held up the open pants and spotted the blond frozen halfway through her door. "BUNNY! Get out!" Completely mortified that he'd seen her almost naked (not that he didn't every time they went to work, but this was _different_) and tossed her pants at him. He slipped out and slammed the door shut to miss getting hit the face.

"S-sorry!" Tetsuko heard him stutter from the other side of the door. She was blushing furiously, checking to make sure she'd been covered all the way. Bra clipped, check. Panties pulled up, check. Annoying bandages that itched and scratched, check.

"Knock next time!"

"Yes!" They were silent for a moment.

"Did you enjoy the show?" She teased, hiding her embarrassment behind jokes.

"I'm not answering that!"

"If you do I'll let you come help me put my shirt on with your eyes open. If you don't, you'll still have to help me but with your eyes closed!"

"You're a perverted old lady!"

"Yep, and you're the pervert who just walked in on me." Tetsuko smiled at her door and went to pick up her jeans. She only fell over once (on her good side) when shimmying into her pants. Since Bunny never answered her question, she made him close his eyes as she maneuvered into her T-shirt, but that didn't stop him from cupping a feel of her breasts. It felt nice, but Tetsuko wasn't about to tell him that.

"I felt that."

"Felt what?" Bunny acted surprised as Tetsuko let him open his eyes so he could help her into the arm sling. His face practically shined with innocence. _Sneaky, bastard. _

"You know what." She slipped her arm in the sling and let Bunny buckle it securely.

"No I don't."

"Of course you do!"

"No I don't, actually." He turned and walked away with a parting smirk.

"Bunny!"

"Hurry up, old lady. Breakfast will get cold."

"No you're the one who's cold! Just admit you felt me up and we'll be good!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar! If you'd just admit it I might let you do it again!" She trudged after him.

"Really?" He looked way to eager to not have intentionally felt her up on purpose the first time.

"Not now!" She stomped past him to get the stairs where she slipped in her socks. Bunny caught her as carefully as he could, wrapping his arms around her torso and shoulders. He squeezed her boob again.

"Gotcha."

"Bunny!" He just laughed at her.

Part 8

Barnaby's First Date

Barnaby Brooks Jr. was a complete mess. _This shouldn't be that stressful. It's kind of like when we go to meetings together or interviews, only that it's just us and there's no adults pushing us around. Oh god, what have I gotten myself into? _He wrung his hands, struggling for the calm mask that usually was so easy to put on. It was one thing to mess around with Tetsuko at the Kaburagi's place, her mother was always there to make sure no funny business was going on (they wouldn't do anything, Tetsuko was still injured even if her arm was out of her sling) and it was all in good fun. But going out in public opened up a whole can of worms that Barnaby didn't want to deal with. What if someone from school saw them? What if the old lady's friends saw them? That would be even worse! _Random people from school will most likely thing that we're just taking a break from interviews, but the others will know something's up. This could be very bad. Very bad. _

Barnaby was driving to the hospital to pick Tetsuko up from her hospital visit. She'd tried to get out of the check up, but alas, her doctor insisted. Barnaby insisted too. He wanted her healthy and on the mend since it was his fault she was hurt in the first place. He wouldn't let their date jeopardize her progress in getting better. There was that word again. _Date. _It was Barnaby's first date. He took his foot of the accelerator, slowing his bike as if trying to delay the inevitable. _What am I worried about? It's just Kaburagi! Tetsuko's always good with anything and she really seems to just like hanging out with me. What's there to worry about? A lot. There's a lot to worry about. Does my hair look okay? Is riding on a motorcycle with her arm going to be okay? Will she like the place we're going for dinner? What if she gets bored during the movie? What if we start fighting for real and she wants to leave? Should I driver her home it that happens or will she just want to get away from me? Of course I drive her home! What an idiot! Arg! Why is there so much to worry about?_ Barnaby sped up again, this time trying to get their quicker so this night could get over with. He pulled up to the hospital and waited for Tetsuko to come down in the lobby. He didn't really look around, just stared down at his hands, thinking. Closed up from the noise of the hospital, he didn't hear his name being called. Nor did he realize his date was trying to get his attention. It wasn't until she bent over, stuck her face in his and blew a raspberry that he jolted back into his body.

"Bunny!" His head shot up and smacked the wall behind him. "So you're awake. Can we go now?" Tetsuko laughed at the startled boy and took his hand.

"Can't you ever be subtle?"

"What's the point? If you're gonna live, why not stand out?" She wore a pair of black dress pants, green flats, an emerald-sequined tube top, a black, three-quarter sleeved cardigan that covered most of her bandages and her watch and beaded bracelet were in their place on her wrist. Her promise ring also glinted in the bright lights of the hospital. She'd actually put on more striking make-up tonight, the gray eye shadow perfectly accenting her bright eyes and she wore lip gloss.

"Speaking about standing out, you look good." Barnaby tried to start off the date being at least a little nice. "But it's a little chilly outside tonight, did you bring a jacket?"

"Crap, I left it at home! It was nice today, so I thought it the weather would hold." She stopped pulling Barnaby and stood just inside the doors, glaring outside.

"Here," Barnaby took off his black jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He had on multiple layers of clothing, an undershirt, his red T-shirt and the black long sleeved shirt he wore over that. Paired with jeans this time, but he still wore his "hooker boots."

"Oh, thanks." She carefully slipped her arms into the sleeves with Barnaby's help. She grinned up at him and took his hand again, yanked for him to hurry up.

And that's when Barnaby decided that Tetsuko knew just how to calm him down. The little exchange relaxed the blond and he began to act like they always did together. They made it to the restaurant without any incidents; he just had to tell the girl when he was turning so she could grip him better with her good arm. The café was the kind that was nice, but not overly expensive so that Tetsuko wouldn't clam up and try not to move so she didn't break anything.

"It's good to see you eating something." She pointed at his plate with her fork, swallowing her chicken before talking.

"I eat."

"Not really. You've gotten skinnier."

"And you've gained a little weight from sitting on your butt all day."

"You're not supposed to point it out!" She pouted and Barnaby noticed she actually cared about her weight, even if she put mayonnaise on everything.

"You don't look fat, it just make your curves a litter curvier."

"You would know, you've felt me up before."

"Do you have to bring that up every time we talk?"

"Yep. It makes you blush." Barnaby was, indeed, blushing at this point. "So cute!"

"I am not cute!"

"Would you prefer, _Handsome_?"She fixed him with a hot look and imitated Nathan perfectly. A shiver shot up Barnaby's spine, half-expecting the transvestite to pop out and grope him.

"Go back to 'cute.'" She chuckled and took another bite of food. They left the café intact and drove off to the movie theater to catch a romantic comedy that Tetsuko just ate up. It wasn't Barnaby's type of movie, but he did get to hold her hand and let the girl sniffle into his shoulder when the main couple broke up and then got back together at the end of the show. He even got in a few kisses when Tetsuko wasn't paying attention to the movie at all. Barnaby hadn't planned anything after the movie and was about to take his date home when she spoke up.

"Hey, let's go to that new club on the other side of Silver. They cater to people our age and are actually open until two am. What do you think?" She didn't look tired at all, eagerly pleading with her eyes to go dancing.

"Are you supposed to be dancing with your injury?" Barnaby gestured to her arm with a raised eyebrow.

"Party pooper! You don't need to keep worrying. It's been like, almost three weeks! I'm fine!" She placed her hands on her hips and gave Barnaby her own eyebrow raise.

"Fine, we'll go." Barnaby started to sweat. He didn't know the first thing about dancing that wasn't ballroom. Tetsuko was suddenly looking behind him with a nervous glance. "What is it?" He started to glance in the direction she was looking.

"Don't look!" He stopped. "We've got visitors and they're totally stalking us." Barnaby's head supplied dozens of names and faces in about two seconds. "When I say 'go,' get on your bike and speed away as fast as you can without getting pulled over. We're getting rid of them."

"Who?"

"Super-stalkers." _Oh no, not them._ "Go!" They both moved at lightning speed and sped away. Barnaby heard six voices voice surprise and two cars start up to follow them.

"Step on it, Bunny!" Tetsuko clung to him as the blond gunned his bike. He finally took a glance back and saw a huge green truck and a red sports car following them.

"Damn, how did they find us?"

"I have no clue!" Barnaby watched her from the corner of his eyes as Tetsuko laughed and flipped off their friends. They were chased through the Silver Stage and were nearly caught a couple of times, eventually ending up near the club Kaburagi wanted to go to. Not that Barnaby planned to lead everyone there. Maybe he did. The blond curbed his bike, giving up on the chase and waited as the six heroes plus one driver tumbled out of the cars. The couple met their stalkers with folded arms and fierce glares.

"I knew it!" Nathan Seymour was the first to reach them in his flashy outfit.

"Knew what?" Barnaby asked.

"You're on a date!"

"What gave you that idea?" Tetsuko got into the black man's face.

"I've been watching you for weeks and I saw you in the café! You were giving each other puppy eyes!"

"I don't do 'puppy eyes.'" Barnaby denied being cute.

"No, he does violent rabbit eyes." Tetsuko poked him in the arm.

"And then Nathan called us to confirm it!" Pao-Lin piped up. "You're so cute together!"

"I'm surprised you'd date Brooks, 'Suko. You said you hated him." Lopez clapped the brunette on her good shoulder.

"Yeah well, he hated me too."

"True." Barnaby said, trying to avoid a hug from President Goodman.

"This is wonderful! Truly, truly wonderful!" The joyful man finally won out and Barnaby was enveloped in a hug.

"I'm just sad you're off the market, Handsome." Nathan's wandering hands wandered low on Barnaby's pants.

"Hands off my date!" Tetsuko forcefully removed the pinkette's hands and stuck them on Lopez. She then took Barnaby's arm and glued herself to his side.

"Ooo! How cute!" Nathan clung to the bull-man now. "But, I've got my sweetcheeks now!" Nathan attacked Lopez's butt and the Spaniard dashed away quickly.

"Aw, damn. Now he gets to touch your boobs!" Karina looked put out, pouting on the fringes of the group with Ivan.

"He did already! And without my permission!" Tetsuko glared at Barnaby, opening up a whole other conversation about what the hell had happened and how far the blond got.

"Can we not talk about this?" Barnaby was blushing again because Karina wanted to compare gripping techniques and was asking all sorts of personal questions about Tetsuko's breasts that the boy didn't want to answer.

"You're blushing again!" His date crooned as she fended off Karina's hands expertly.

"Shut up and just get in the club!" Barnaby gestured to the club and the herd dragged him along then they heard he was paying the entrance fee.

Once everyone was inside, blinded by flashing lights and loud techno music and strangers, the blond felt very small. He felt awkward and out of place, like a puzzle piece that had all the wrong edges. Standing at a counted with a soda in his hand, Barnaby was not having fun. He looked around and saw Lopez and Seymour popping up and disappearing in the crush of people as they played there never-ending game of chase. Karina was pushing around every guy she could get her hands on while Pao-Lin cheered her on as she danced. Ivan was nowhere to be seen and Tetsuko was attempting to keep President Goodman tethered to the ground in his excitement. She gave up and began dancing with the girls, always conscious of her shoulder. The brunette smiled widely and laughed as Pao-Lin began adding kung-fu moves into her little dance routine and tried to follow along. Barnaby was content to watch her twist and move in a hypnotic dance that got him all flustered. Then his date got pissed at a boy who tried to grope Karina's butt. She talked the guy's ear off until she was blue in the face with her mother mode. The boy looked like he'd pissed his pants. Barnaby chuckled at his counter and took a drink.

"Bunny! Get over here and dance with me!" As much as he'd love to dance with Tetsuko, Barnaby's fear of making a fool of himself rooted him on the spot. His date waved at him again with a _come on _gesture! Then she said it. "Come on!" Kaburagi began walking over, mischief in her eye.

"No, I don't feel like dancing."

"You're the one who invited us here! Shake an arm; it's time to have fun!"

"It's 'shake a leg.'" She yanked on his arm and when he didn't move the girl got behind him and shoved. His drink had disappeared, his spot invaded and Barnaby just blurted out what the problem was. "I can't dance."

"What?" She stopped pushing and hooked her chin on his shoulder. "Mr. Perfect can't dance?"

"Not like this," he said as she gestured to the writhing bodies of people anywhere from twelve to eighteen. "I know how to perform classical social dances."

"Eh?"

"Ballroom dancing."

"Come on, this is easier than that frilly feet stuff." She managed to get him on the dance floor and turned him around to face her. "Let's start with the head bob. Move you head to the beat, like this." Tetsuko began nodding her head to the music and Barnaby followed. She began to laugh.

"What?" Barnaby snapped at her.

"You look like a stiff board. Loosen up!" Barnaby glared at the brunette. "Oh, I forgot you've got a stick up your ass."

"How did you get that one right?" _She actually said an idiom correctly! _

"It's got a swearword in it, duh." She shook her head at him. "You know, if you can pose in front of cameras wearing preppy, girly boy-clothes, you should be fine with dancing, Bunny.

"How did you find out about that?" Barnaby panicked. He'd used to model clothing for prep schools and high society types, which was fine but he was not proud of the underwear shoots he'd posed for. _What if she's seen those?_

"I Googled your name once for fun and found a link to a modeling sight. Cute butt buy the way. The pink and blue striped Speedo was my favorite" She smirked. _She did see them! _The blond was mortified and almost melted into the ground. He blushed and hoped the flashing lights hit his red cheeks. "Dancing's just like stringing all those poses together, only with a lot of jumping, head banging and shaking." She instructed Barnaby in what to do and corrected him with a smile when he looked like a fool. After a few miss starts, the boy got the hang of this type of dancing and began to have fun, but what he really loved was when Tetsuko would throw her arms around him so they could dance close. Barnaby put his hands on her waist and felt her rippling muscles beneath her clothes. She pressed closer, gluing their torsos together.

"Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?" Seymour appeared to give the couple a teasing look.

"No, it's very warm in here! And again, warm!" The SBO was completely clueless as he spoke, jumping high into the air. He winked at Barnaby, disillusioning the clueless remark.

"Don't corrupt him, 'Suko!" Lopez popped up as far away from Nathan as he could be to join in the banter.

"I don't corrupt people!" Tetsuko began arguing over Barnaby's shoulder, stepping on his foot in the process. He bit his complaint back and retaliated by pinching her butt. "Ow!" She pulled away to glare at him. "See, he's already corrupted!"

"I thought that was fine." Nathan commented offhandedly.

"Why do you always take his side?"

"Because we're tired of taking _your _side. You always lose!" Pao-Lin and Karina joined the groups and laughed at Tetsuko's face when she pouted. Ivan finally came out of the back ground to nod his agreement. They stayed in the club a few more hours until security kicked Tetsuko out for having beer.

"Where did you even get the alcohol?" Barnaby asked as drove a slightly tipsy Tetsuko home.

"Antonio's car. He's got a bar in there! Owow!" She whooped into the night and leaned back off the bike.

"Stay on the bike, you delinquent!" They'd almost reached her house and Barnaby didn't want to get into an accident. She reversed her direction and desperately clung to the blonde's torso.

"Paaaaaarrrty pooooooooooooper!" She slurred teasingly, nuzzling his back. He pulled into the Kaburagi's driveway and unlatched his date from his body to walk her to the door.

"Stand up straight!"

"I am straight!"

"No, you're sideways."

"Well, it looks straight." They made it to the door with very few problems and just before Tetsuko made it through the door she flipped around to her date. "So, how was it sharing our first date with friends? I bet all you other dates were perfect and sparkly and-"

"Actually, I wouldn't know because this was my first date."

"What?" She looked pretty sober now. "You went on your first date with an older woman? An older, drunk woman?"

"Well, yeah. That's why you shouldn't get drunk." Barnaby's hall monitor mode switched on as he began talking in his lecture voice.

"I'm blown away," she stumbled into the door and gaped at him. "You've never been on a date before? But, but-" she began pointing at him, struggling to find the right words.

"I never felt the need to date until now. I'm only seventeen for heaven's sake, not ancient like you are. Watch your head." She'd almost wacked it on the doorframe. Barnaby reached out to steady the girl but she collapsed into his arms, wrapping him in a tight hug. Surprised, the boy stiffed for a moment, and then tentatively wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry it wasn't perfect," she whispered into his shoulder, seemingly more sober than she was acting.

"It's okay; I've sort of learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to you. I-" he was cut off by a searing kiss on his lips. It quickly deteriorated into an impromptu make-out session that Barnaby enjoyed thoroughly. There was really nothing better than Tetsuko's body against him and her lips latched onto his own, but the second his hands drifted lower to her ass, the girl pulled back with a laugh. "Naughty Bunny."

"Teasing old lady."

"I know your hormones are out of whack but you can't jump me whenever you feel like it."

"I haven't jumped you. Yet." He gave her a predatory glance.

"Ooo, scary. Okay, so you can't _grope _me whenever you want to."

"Why not?"

"We're not _that _serious yet. We've only been together a few weeks and you do it mostly to embarrass me or get a rise out of me."

"But I still like it." Barnaby couldn't deny it. He was attracted to Tetsuko: her body and her crazy personality.

"You've got a lot to learn, grasshopper." She pecked a kiss on his nose and patted his cheek. "We'll play when you've grown up, 'kay?" She tossed Barnaby's jacket into his arms as she turned away.

"I'm more mature than you and-" he protested, his body already missing her warmth as she walked away.

"Goodnight, Bunny."

"It's Barnaby." She grinned back at him and slid the door shut.

"Thanks for the evening!" She slid the door back a crack to add that. When she closed the door again, Barnaby heard her trip and swear on the other side. _Clumsy, old fool. _Barnaby ran his had through his curls and walked back to his bike, hoping the cool night air would stifle the uncomfortable heat in his clothes. _It was a fun date. I think I'll take her dancing again. My way this time. Then we'll see who's incompetent, old lady. _Barnaby chuckled as he squealed away on his bike, evilly planning revenge as big amber eyes watched him drive off into the night.

A/N: Hey, ZareEraz here, the writer who puts on her left earring before her right one!

Sorry if you were expecting a serious chapter this week, but after all the seriousness of the past _two _chapters, I decided it was time to a literary break.

FYI:

- The baby advice I actually did have to Google for Pao-Lin

- The song Karina dedicates to Tetsuko is "I Won't Let Go" by Rascal Flatts

- Yes, I put Scarf-tan in there, and I picked the name Scarlet for her because it sorta sounded like "scarf"

- I tribute Keith's story to the inspiration of Hayato's "King of…" manga short in the first Tiger & Bunny Comic Anthology (which I do own, thank you very much)

- I thought a nervous Ivan would be a chatter box especially if it was someone he was comfortable with and a jorogumo is a yokai spider demon, in case you were wondering

-Yes, I made up the name Sade, (they never named Nathan's assistant in episode seven)

-I vented some of Bunny's pervert-ness in this short because I could

-And Tetsuko being not clumsy in anything? Believe it! She's a better pop dancer than Bunny.

That's all for now so see you next time! And again, next time! Ha, ha. Get it? NEXT time? Never mind. Remember to review and comment, I'd love to hear which short was your favorite!


	7. Trouble in Paradise

A/N: Hey, ZareEraz here! The author whose favorite proof reading snack is M&Ms! Here we are once again! New update yay! This chapters full of those romangst that romantics hate and love at the same time! Enjoy and remember: I do not own Tiger & Bunny, but I would if I could!

Chapter Seven: Trouble in Paradise

Bunny's fan base took it the hardest. The second he and Tetsuko went public with their relationship, the girls shit themselves. _Man, I'm getting death glares on all sides today! Thanks, Bunny. _Tetsuko walked down the hall to the cafeteria, avoiding all the girls in her vicinity. _And it was totally his fault that this is happening! It was so little and he did it on purpose, that asshole! _The brunette had been late to school so she had to hang out in the ceiling until homeroom period. She came in before Bunny and was minding her own business and when her secret boyfriend finally decided to show up, she'd nearly fallen asleep at her desk. Then he walked up and kissed her on the cheek to wake her up, calling her a lazy bitch. Well, he didn't say bitch, but it was implied.

Okay, Tetsuko wouldn't have minded the kiss so much but first of all, Bunny wasn't really affectionate in public, second he loved his suave/untouchable persona for school and third they hadn't discussed going public at all! (Their track record with communication sucked.) Lastly, Tetsuko nearly pissed herself where she sat.

"WHAT?" The whole female population of Sternbild High shrieked, because someone had viral texted the kiss all around the school. Every single girl who hadn't known about the relationship had rushed the couple and tried to kill Tetsuko.

"Bunny, look what you started!" The brunette yelled at him from under a desk as hands clamored for her and Bunny, grabbing at anything they could. The blond was also crawling away from the lynching mob, an evil grin on his face. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"You have to catch me first!" They both jumped up and ran for their lives. The girls charged and Tetsuko ran to the one place no one wanted to be, including her. She dashed down the stairs and dodged students in the hallways until she slammed the door to Yuri Petrov's office shut and locked it. She leaned against the door, catching her breath until someone cleared their throat. Petrov was watching her, one pale eyebrow raised in question.

"So I hear you and Brooks are dating."

"Um…yeah." _Well, that took all of thirty seconds! I hate you, Bunny! _And that was the beginning of the most awkward conversation Tetsuko had ever been a part of. She was actually glad when Mr. Lloyds dragged her back to class. Now she was cringing into her starched collar and slunk to her usual lunch seat. She waited and avoided eye contact with everyone until all her friends swarmed the table and started babbling about what had transpired in class. Nathan was absolutely _gushing, _updating his blog as he spoke. Karina was laughing her head off and Keith was patting her on the back. Bunny sat down in his usual seat and was followed quickly by Ivan who snatched up the last seat so no one could accost Tetsuko where she was.

"I hate you." She glared at the blond with curls who just smirked back. "Now hold my hand!" She grabbed his pale fingers before he had the chance to move them.

"Why?" He asked, looking at their joined hands.

"That way if they go for me, they'll get you too!" Tetsuko proceeded to eat her lunch one-handed and ended up sharing her bento with Bunny.

"That's so cute!" Nathan cooed, taking a picture. "This is going on the blog!"

"It's like one of those love-story anime series." Ivan noted, munching on his sandwich.

"The only thing that could make this cuter is if Tets had made the bento herself, instead of her mother." Nathan sighed, imagining the possibilities of adorableness.

"I think it's disgusting. They're eating off of the same chopsticks." Karina pointed her fork at said utensils that Tetsuko was using to shove a piece of sushi into Bunny's mouth. She kept moving the chopsticks around so he had to go fishing for it. When the blond finally snagged the food he chewed and swallowed before speaking.

"I don't have any complaints."

"I du. You're gutting ree ood." Tetsuko didn't bother with manners as she spoke through her onigiri. She'd forsaken the chopsticks to eat her second favorite snack with her free hand, accompanied with mayo, of course.

"Chew your food before you speak, old lady."

"Quit calling me that!" She sprayed some rice on his face on purpose. Bunny wiped his cheek primly.

"Quit calling me Bunny."

"Never."

"Then get used to it."

"I have to get used to all the girls trying to kill me because of you!"

"I thought it was best to get it out in the open now that this rabble knew about us." Bunny gestured to Tetsuko's friends. "Nathan's blog would've spoiled all the fun."

"You call this fun? The only places I can hide are Petrov's and Principal Maverick's office! Otherwise I'll be dead before the bell rings! I never wanted to tick off your fan girls but you just had to do it yourself!" Tetsuko squeezed his hand hard, trying to break his fingers.

"Calm down," he didn't even flinch at her violence. "It's much better this way."

"So you say, but all the females just weep around you, completely heartbroken that you're dating. When I walk through the halls I feel like they're going to stab me in the back!" Tetsuko glared at the boy until he opened his mouth again.

"When you're done with the rice ball can I have one of those octopus shaped wieners?" She shoved the onigiri in his face and didn't speak to him until their next date.

"Bunny, I feel their eyes on me." Tetsuko grabbed his arm, clinging but not, as they walked down a Silver sidewalk on a breezy Saturday morning.

"There's no one from school here." Bunny batted her arm and moved it to take the girl's hand instead. "And even if there was, just ignore them. You're with me; you don't need to pay attention to anyone else." She snorted at him.

"That's a little egotistical, don't you think?" She swung their hands back and forth between their bodies.

"No."

"Pig." The girl leaned into the boy, resting her head on his shoulder. It was a nice bonus that Bunny was slightly taller than her or else that action would've been quite uncomfortable.

"Oink, oink."

"Was that a joke?" She looked up at her date.

"An attempt." He looked down at her, curls lit by the sun bathed buildings.

"It's as bad as mine." She chuckled and squeezed his hand.

"Yours will always be worse."

"Why does everybody keep saying that?"

"Because it's true."

"I still don't get it." She turned away to wait until the traffic light turned green so they could walk across the street.

"Just drop it. I have no desire to discuss the merits of bad jokes with you. Bunny turned away, leading Tetsuko down the walk again.

"How about superheroes?"

"Don't you dare." Tetsuko smiled at the first time the blond had discovered her obsession. He'd come over to dinner because the girl's kaa-san had insisted and one of the closet doors had burst open in the hallways. The falling boxed had almost clubbed Bunny in the head but when he went to pick up a box its tape bindings had snapped under the pressure of being closed for so long. Inside that particular box were all of Tetsuko's old actions figures, trading cards and magazines dealing with heroes. She'd squealed when she saw the blond holding her stuff and yammered his ear off the whole night about which super powers were the best and whose costume was the most stylish. He'd avoided the subject ever since.

"Come on, I see Karina and Ivan!" The girl raced ahead, pulling the blond with her.

"Of course you see them. They're waving at you." They were meeting at the recreation center today with some of their friends. To do what? Nobody had bothered to tell the brunette. The friends had paired up for a sort of group date: Keith was with Karina and Ivan asked Pao-Lin to come. Antonio had training at work so she figured that's where Nathan was, spying.

"Pick up your feet!" Tetsuko shot ahead and Bunny ran with her. They breezed over to the group and entered the monster of a rec center. The center boasted the state of the art exercise and recreation equipment all housed under the most high tech facility this side of Gold. They passed the ball courts, the game rooms and pools before Tetsuko spoke up. "So, does somebody want to tell me what we're doing?"

"Nobody told you?" Pao-Lin walked backwards in front of the brunette.

"No." She glared pointedly at Bunny.

"We're going ice skating!" The middle school girl flipped around again and Tetsuko halted in her tracks.

"God, no." She broke out into a cold sweat; the warm clothes Bunny had told her to wear now making sense and causing her to overheat.

"What's wrong?" Said blond stopped with her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You're a bitch! You know for a fact that I'm clumsy and you want to put me on frozen water? This is going to be a disaster!"

"You're overreacting. Everything's going to be fine." Bunny tugged on her arm, trying to get her to move.

No, it won't!" I'm like a-like a…" The girl couldn't recall the phrase she was looking for. Tetsuko wracked her brain. "Give me a minute."

"We could be here all day," Karina pointed out, playing with her hair.

"Uh…um…" Tetsuko tapped her foot on the ground, thinking.

"Come on! Let's go!" Pao-Lin giggled at the brunette's dilemma.

"Oh! It's the one about the Chihuahua on a tile floor! Or something like that." Tetsuko knew she hadn't gotten it completely right, but she was close. Didn't that count for something?

"We let her think about it and she still gets it wrong." Bunny shook his curls and began forcibly dragging her towards the ice rink. "It's 'as graceful as a dog on a wood floor,' dummy."

"I was close!" The girl pouted as she pulled back.

"No you weren't!" The group managed to get a resisting Tetsuko to the renting booth and had to manually put the skates on her feet and tied the knots so she couldn't take them off easily.

"This is torture!" She whined as her friends put on their own skates.

"Quit harping and take my hand." Tetsuko could see that her boyfriend's patience was fraying. She sighed in defeat and grabbed his mittens with her own. She snuggled into her green felt coat and-no other way to describe it-waddled over to the entrance of the rink. She looked out onto the frozen water and her heart shuddered. It was at least three times as big as the rink in the Bronze Stage. "The last time I didn't this I broke my arm," she admitted, chewing on her lip. A finger touched her mouth and pulled her lip back into place.

"That's a bad habit." Bunny gripped her hand reassuringly. "No broken limbs today." The blond smirked as the brunette shifted uncomfortably on her blades. Keith, Ivan, Karina and Pao-Lin bolted past them and leapt onto the ice with various amounts of experience. Karina started gliding and performing spins and jumps that had Tetsuko gaping. Ivan managed to stay on his feet while Pao-Lin fought for her balance as she slid around laughing. Keith chortled and moved around with an airy grace. As she watched her friends, Tetsuko's heart sped up and her sweat came back.

"I can't do this." She waddled backwards but was stopped by Bunny. He took her face in both his hands to yank her attention away from the ice.

"You can face a rampaging robot, take out robbers, help me disarm a bomb and challenge a maniac with a crossbow but you can't spend a few hours on the ice?" His green eyes bore into hers, effectively distracting the girl.

"I'll take Lunatic any day."

"Come on, old lady, we're getting on that ice." He bent down and before the girl knew it, she was in his arms, clinging to Bunny's coat.

"Princess carry!" Pao-Lin called, snickering as Keith parroted her. The child was holding onto Ivan's purple coat as she gained her feet.

"Bunny!" He stepped out onto the ice and Tetsuko stopped trying to get down, terrified of falling. He glided to the other side of the rink and tried to put the girl down. Now she wouldn't let go.

"Get off me!" He took away both his arms in an attempt to drop her. Tetsuko curled up, her arms taking all the weight and flaring in pain as she glued herself to his chest.

"You're the one who put me up here!" They argued for a few more moments before Tetsuko's right shoulder gave out and she tumbled onto the ice. Bunny caught her torso before her tailbone smacked the ground. Tetsuko scrambled for purchase on the ice with her blades and after a few seconds, she stood completely still on trembling legs.

"Well, that was fun." Bunny helped her stand up straight.

"Shut up and get me to the wall." The brunette tiptoed over to the support with the blonde's help and collapsed onto it, breathing heavily.

"Do you know how to glide?" Bunny skated around her gracefully, arms folded.

"In theory." Tetsuko's legs felt about ready to give out. She hadn't felt this unhinged since the day the school notified her she'd be repeating a year.

"Well then, let's test it out. Hold my hand and put the other on top of the wall." Tetsuko did as she was instructed. "Now, keep the toe of your skate up and push off with your less dominate foot, holding your other one on the ice." They tested out a few strokes, wobbling and tipping all over the place. "Keep your core strong, stand up straight." Bunny coached her as they glided around the rink a couple of times until the girl could glide clumsily holding on to just his hand. They didn't leave the wall, it was Tetsuko's safety blanket and she wasn't giving it up easily. They both watched as Keith and Karina skated backwards hand in hand and laughed when Pao-Lin dragged Ivan around the ice. Then Tetsuko's toe dung into the ice, forgotten, and caused to her trip forward. Bunny instantly let go of her hand to keep his balance and chuckled when she tumbled onto the ice.

"You asshole! Help me up!" Tetsuko growled, on her hands and knees as her date reached down to pull her up. They went around the rink a few more times before Bunny slowly coaxed her further and further away from the wall. Tetsuko held both his hands now as he skated backwards to face her. She'd let him know it someone was behind him, but mostly tried not to look down at her two left feet. Karina laughed at her tense expression and Pao-Lin poked her in the side, sending the older girl into a frantic slid. Bunny eventually let go of one hand and they glided along with some semblance of stability. Then someone called to Bunny, pulling his attention away from Tetsuko.

"Barnaby!" It was a girl from school. Tetsuko recognized her as one of the leaders of the fan girl club and once again feared for her safety. The girl was wearing an innocent smile to match her bright pink coat, but Tetsuko saw bodily harm in her eyes and stance. She was gliding over to the couple when the brunette acted without thinking.

She let go of Bunny's hand, pushing backwards with her skates. The blond looked at her with concern, thinking she was falling again but realized she was still on her feet. Tetsuko then swung around on her ice skates and preformed a perfect 180-turn and bolted off to the far side of the rink, directly through pairs of skaters. She put on speed, wanting to be as far away from the fan girl as possible. Bunny called out for her but she didn't turn back. She pushed forward powerfully, dodging and weaving through skaters as she came to them, hair flying and a cold breeze smacking her face. She panted with exertion and realized with horror that the end of the rink was approaching her, fast. Arms slightly out for balance, she turned her skates sideways and bent both legs, struggling to reduce her speed. Crashing was not in the plan this time. Tetsuko skidded to a stop a foot away from the wall and sighed with relief. She then turned around to look for Bunny. He was all the way at the other end of the ice rink, stunned that she'd moved so fast. The girl smiled with pride as Pao-Lin and Keith cheered her. Then a small boy skated past and smacked the brunette's leg. She was swept off her feet the hard way and fell backwards, barely conscious enough to hear the sound of her skull hitting the ice and register the searing pain in her head before blacking out.

"I think she's coming around." Tetsuko heard voices through the blankets of fog her in brain. Her body felt heavy and she didn't want to move at all. _What happened again? Do I have a concussion? Because my head feels like it's going to explode. _

"Hey, Tetsuko. Boobs. Boobs. Tits. Booooobs, wake up!" Karina's voice was right in her ear, loud and clear.

"I didn't do it." Tetsuko's mouth opened before she'd even had a chance to think.

"Oh, she's fine!" Karina disappeared and Tetsuko tried to open her eyes. Light blinded her and she clamped her eyelids shut.

"Shit, this is worse than a hangover! Somebody turn off the damn lights!" She threw her arms up to cover her face.

"Yep, she's fine." A chorus of voices agreed.

"Don't write me off so quickly, I might have a concussion." The brunette opened her eyes a millimeter and took a peek around. Bunny was sitting next to where she was lying on the ground and she'd gathered quite the crowd. "Geez, I haven't been this popular since I ran through the school in my underwear."

"You did what?" Bunny was suddenly right in her face, glaring at her.

"Nothing." Now accustomed to the bright lights of the room, Tetsuko managed to sit up with a little help from Bunny. "What happened again?"

"Some kid knocked you over after you speed skated across the arena. I had to go over and pick you up like a sack of flour because you were out cold. How did you move so fast anyway?" Bunny's hands were in her hair, checking for blood, but he only found a huge goose egg. Tetsuko purred into his touch, loving how his long fingers tickled her skin.

"I saw a fan girl and it just happened."

"We could put her on a speed skating team, but only if one of Barnaby's fan girls joined as well so she could chase Tigress." Pao-Lin chuckled at her idea and Tetsuko rolled her eyes and decided that her head didn't like it very much. Inspection done, Bunny removed his hands and Tetsuko whined in protest.

"Well, so much for an uneventful activity." The blond shook his curls as if it was all Tetsuko's fault.

"Hey, it was an accident. Not my fault this time."

"We know. Can you stand?" Bunny stood and brushed his butt off. He reached down and helped haul Tetsuko up when she was ready. Everything tilted and twisted for a moment, but then the world straightened up and Tetsuko felt ready to move. The group began walking out of the rec center, checking to make such the brunette was still on her feet. Bunny wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her and pulled the girl close. His body was warm in the brisk air and Tetsuko sighed into his touch. They walked along chatting with Pao-Lin and watching Keith wave at everyone while Karina teased him by flat tiring his shoes. They friends parted ways at one of the many subway stations and called out that they'd see each other at work that night. Tetsuko and Bunny stayed topside as Karina and Ivan both took the subway back to their homes and Keith escorted Pao-Lin to her boarding house. The couple kissed for a few minutes before the girl invited her boyfriend back to her place.

"I've got to go meet someone." Bunny said, pulling out of the embrace.

"Who could you possibly be meeting?" Tetsuko rolled her eyes good naturedly, pushing her bangs out of her face. She said it as a joke but Bunny took it the wrong way.

"You know I can meet people other than you and your posse." His hard tone grated on the girl's nerves, causing her to narrow her eyes.

"Geez, I was only teasing. Go meet whoever it is!" Tetsuko covered up the hurt in her face with a miffed, but unconcerned look. "I've got to nurse a headache." She walked away, flipping her hand over her shoulder in goodbye. The bus ride home wasn't as fun as it had been on the way up to the rink, mostly because Tetsuko was alone and now had a throbbing head. She was surprised that Bunny acted so defensively, he usually just justified everything and didn't care if Tetsuko gave a damn what he did. He hadn't really snapped at her since the robot incident. _Did I hit a nerve? Or is Bunny just on his period? Was it something I did? _Tetsuko chewed her lip and then stopped. Bunny was right, it was a bad habit. _When did I start caring so much about what he thought of me, Tomoe? I'm acting like a love-struck tween! This happened when we first started dating too. I'd always ask you those silly questions about how I looked or if you liked my eye shadow until you told me I was always beautiful. Even with bed head and a big-ass hangover. _

Tetsuko got off the bus when she realized that she'd be better bumming about Silver than going home and then coming right back an hour and a half later for work. The brunette wandered around the glittering sidewalks, reveling in the cheerful afternoon sun. She stopped at a drug store to get some painkillers for her headache and then got some food to take them with. The girl then made her way over to Hero's Bar for work, getting all ready to go before Bunny even made it through the door. Tetsuko was beginning to worry when he hadn't shown up by the time their shift started and was pleased when the blond breezed through the door looking a little disheveled. His curls were messy, his clothes wrinkle and askew and his glasses were crooked. He rushed into the dressing room before the brunette could fix his lenses and came out a few minutes later looking completely perfect. Tetsuko shrugged her padded shoulders and linked arms with her boyfriend as they began their work.

Bunny acted completely normal during their shift, but Tetsuko was dying to know who he had met with. The only reason she didn't outright ask him was that they were never alone for more than a few seconds, like the blond was trying to avoid meaningful conversation with the girl. As the night wore on, Tetsuko became more and more put out, not even Mr. Legend could cheer her up when he came on (even though she took her usual break for the show). They had their customary race to the speedway after work and Bunny acted like he always did: cocky and arrogant, but Tetsuko had a hard time trying to win. Thoughts of his meeting kept swirling around her head, and she didn't know how to broach the conversation without him getting defensive like he had that afternoon. In the end she did nothing. Just lost the race and drove home with more questions than answers.

She lounged around all Sunday morning and tried to be productive in the afternoon by getting all her homework done. It worked for a while, but the girl got distracted by her phone when Anotonio messaged her and they texted for hours, talking and joking back and forth before stopping at nine 'o'clock at night. Then Tetsuko debated whether or not if she should text Bunny and find out whom he met, the cat's curiosity welling up inside her. She messaged him, but never got up the guts to ask her questions, just settling for the conversation instead. She purchased some action figures over the internet between texts, took a shower and pampered her hair like Bunny thought she never did and then hid under her covers so her mother wouldn't confiscate her phone when she should be sleeping. Tetsuko knew Barnaby had insomnia most nights (one of the few things she managed to drag out of him) but was surprised when he stopped texting her relatively early in the night. Then the brunette tossed and turned all night, until she finally passed out from exhaustion.

"You look like hell." Bunny observed the next morning in homeroom.

"Thank you for pointing that out. I didn't get much sleep last night." Tetsuko yawned widely, tears of sleep gathering in the corners of her eyes. She stretched her arms above her head and slumped further into her seat. Bunny chuckled at her.

"I didn't keep you up all night, so what kept you up?" He sat on her desk, content to talk with the girl until the bell rang.

"My brain wouldn't shut off. You know, the usual stuff: where did my other blue sock go, if 'Masa had the new order of bourbon in yet, I was curious about whom you met the other day, if that essay was due today or Tuesday…"

"Wait, what was that last one?" Bunny was suddenly very interested in what she had to say.

"About the essay?" Tetsuko yawned again, scratching her head.

"No, the one before that."

"The sock one or the liquor one?"

"No the one in the middle!"

"About where you went?" Tetsuko decided that right now was as good as any time to ask. "I was just curious about who you met. You never did tell me."

"And I don't have to tell you." Bunny turned cold again and stood to take his seat and Tetsuko had to be content to throw paper airplane notes at his head during class.

_What's wrong, Bunny?_

_Don't call me that. Nothing's wrong._

_You keep shutting me out._

_Stop meddling and maybe I'll tell you what you want to know._

_Why don't you just tell me now? _

_Maybe I don't want too._

_That's fine, but I'll just keep bugging you. :3 Kitty face!_

She never did get that last note back because Mr. Lloyds confiscated the airplane and stuffed it down the trash bin. _At least it wasn't my phone this time. _The last time Lloyds had caught her texting, she had to wait three whole days before she could get it back. Tetsuko rested her head in her hand as Mr. Lloyds continued his lecture and her eyes began to flutter shut. A wad of paper hit her in the face causing her to freak out a little and fall out of her chair. The entire class started laughing and Lloyds turned around again to look at her disappointedly. Tetsuko smiled at him, embarrassed that she got caught napping again.

"Tetsuko, I know this isn't the most interesting lesson in the world, but the least you could do is stay awake until the bell rings." His unemotional voice almost caused the girl to fall asleep again.

"Yeah, teach. Sorry." She picked herself up off the floor and plunked down in her chair again, glaring at Bunny. He pointed to the paper that he'd thrown at her, smirking. She grumbled and picked it up off the floor when Lloyds returned to the whiteboard. She smoothed out the sheet and read what he'd written on it.

_Stay awake and maybe I'll tell you. _The girl flipped him off before he turned around to be a good little kiss-up and answer every question Lloyds threw out. For days he held that stupid meeting over her head and it was about killing her not knowing what was going on. She seriously considered tearing his skull open and getting the information out herself, but she'd probably be charged with manslaughter if she did. The brunette decided to let it go until he brushed her off on an invitation to the movies the next week. Same spiel: I've got to meet someone, sorry I can't go, maybe next time…blah, blah, blah.

"Seriously, if you're just ditching me because you can't stand being near me, then just say it!" Tetsuko crossed her arms, her miffed mood clearly showing up in her voice.

"It's not that!" Bunny, went back to colleting his books and putting them away meticulously.

"Then is it a girl? Are you cheating on me?" It seemed more and more like he was actually seeing someone else.

"No! Can't you just trust me?" The blond whipped around, looking as angry as Tetsuko felt.

"I would love to, but you're being so secretive it's hard not to be suspicious."

"I've got a lead, okay?"

"What? A lead?" Now Tetsuko was confused.

"A lead to my parent's murderer."

"Seriously? What is it? Let me help you!" Tetsuko instantly offered not to let him go this alone and completely getting shut out, again.

"No. I want to do this by myself and you'll just probably mess this up."

"Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence." Little jabs like that were happening all the time now; like Bunny thought just because they were dating he could insult her whenever he wanted.

"I just…don't want to lose this one, okay? Ouroboros has slipped away from me so many times, and this time I might catch them." He seemed to be telling the truth, his green eyes completely open for once.

"Fine, do what you want." The girl left him, her curiosity far from satisfied.

_Okay, you are being completely paranoid here, Tetsuko. You can't stalk Bunny just because you can. _Tetsuko was waiting for Bunny to leave the school. Hiding in her sneak-in tree, she watched the blond finished hall monitoring and then went back inside for twenty minutes (probably chatting with Petrov) and then he came out again to hop on his bike. It was their day off this week and Tetsuko wasn't going to waste it by bumming about at home, she intended to find out where Bunny kept going without her. _Maybe he's lying about Ouroboros._ _I bet he's going to a strip club or something like that. Maybe he's a drug dealer and all these meetings are to sell crack. _She waited until he was halfway down the street on his motorcycle before leaping out of her tree and dashing to her own bike. She discretely tailed her boyfriend into the nice part of Bronze, hiding behind other cars and staying a good distance behind him the whole time.

_He comes to Bronze to meet whoever it is? Seems below his attention. Wait, he comes to Bronze to hang with me…but that's different! Great! Now I'm degrading myself! _Tetsuko shut her brain up and concentrated on what she was doing. Bunny turned off the highway and wound through the streets in the outer ring. He stopped and parked at a club called the Snake's Tail, a bar known for its wacky patrons. Tetsuko had never been in it and she'd planned to keep it that way. She parked her Chaser across the street and down a block or so and camped out in a bookstore so she could keep an eye on the neon club while she waited for Bunny to emerge. He did, about an hour later with a girl hanging his arm. Tetsuko dropped the comic book she was browsing through into her lap and gaped out the window. _That liar! That lying son of a bitch! _Tetsuko watched him from behind a bookcase. They passed under a streetlight and Tetsuko got a good look at the chick hanging off of Bunny's arm.

_Who is that? Can it be..? No. No way would he be seeing _her. The brunette glared daggers at the black-haired bitch leaning on her boyfriend. Kriem was rotten to the core, manipulative and cruel. She would chew Bunny up and spit him out like a stale piece of gum when she was finished with him. She sported a bob-cut with straight bangs with the same stupid black bowler hat she'd worn for years. Tetsuko noticed she'd added a ribbon with card suits on it near the brim. She wore a while halter top with a black collar and tie, her signature diamond cut-out jeans and red strappy heels. The woman's long, red fingerless gloves reached up almost to her shoulders, covering the collage of tattoos the brunette knew she had. Bunny helped her in a black leather jacket as they walked and then the bitch snagged his arm again, twirling her ever-present umbrella around her wrist. Kriem pursed her purple lips in a pout as she blinked sensually, showing off her spade drawn eyelids. Her half diamond tattoo with under her left eye looked sinister under the shadows of her hat. _Damn, every time I see her hanging around Jake or not, I just want to punch her in the boobs! _The black haired woman was known to be Jake Martinez's girlfriend, so what was Bunny thinking? Kriem didn't seem like his type (even if Tetsuko wasn't as well). Tetsuko fumed as Jake Martinez's twenty-something girlfriend clung to _her_ seventeen year old boyfriend.

"Uh, ma'am." One of the bookstores attendants tapped her on the shoulder.

"What?" Tetsuko ripped her attention away from the liar and the slut.

"You're going to have to pay for that." The girl pointed at comic book crushed tightly in Tetsuko's fist. She'd picked it up at some point when she stood to glare out the window and had now ruined the glossy pages.

"Oops. Sorry." Tetsuko blushed in embarrassment and loosened her fist. "Yeah I'll pay for this. Will you ring me up?" By the time the girl had gotten out of the store, Bunny and Kriem were gone. "Kuso. I'm gonna kill him."

Tetsuko muttered to herself as she hopped on her bike. She was fuming that Bunny was not only possibly cheating on her, but he lied to her about it! Right to her face! And with the girlfriend of one of their known enemies! "First I'm gonna key his stupid motorcycle, then I'm gonna ring his neck and disembowel his lying guts. I'll tear his damn curls out of his skull and make a sweater out of them and then I'll burn it. I'll break his kneecaps, rip out his fingernails and tear his arms off! When I'm done with him, his own mother won't even recognize him!" Ranting to the sound of her powerful engine helped calm the girl down as she sped away to anywhere but where she was. _I finally date someone after Tomoe and he turns out to be a bigger asshole than what he presented himself to be. Typical. Every relationship I'm in somehow gets screwed up. _Testuko's heart clenched painfully as her sad thoughts ran around her head. She stopped by Antonio's apartment to break in a steal some booze to help her forget the irrational anger of being a girl and then just to get sloshed after about the fourth can. By the time she rolled into her driveway, it was after midnight and she could barely see straight. Her kaa-san was already in bed at Tetsuko stumbled upstairs to imagine more dead Bunnies. She never even made it to bed and threw up alcohol in the toilet and then passed out on the tiled floor.

She avoided Bunny all the next day at school and stepped on his feet every time he tried to talk to her. The blond eventually just left her alone, probably just assuming it was one of those days where Tetsuko Kaburagi was on her period. The girl didn't even stick around long enough to wait for him so they could go to work like they usually did and at work she was always three steps ahead of him and well out of the way. The day after that, Tetsuko ignored Bunny completely and got into another fight with Jake Martinez's goons, ending up with a few big bruises and a split lip. At least she narrowly avoided breaking her nose, this time. The gang was getting bolder, even with their leader behind bars. Apparently Jake had landed a sentence of a couple months for something he did, but Tetsuko couldn't be bothered to find out. Bunny gave her a lecture when he saw the state of her face and clothes, but this time she didn't even pretend to pay attention and just walked away.

Three fights later, Tetsuko learned that Jake was now out of prison, mostly because he kicked her in the stomach and she had to deck the bearded bastard's face in. This time, Bunny had to bail her out and she didn't thank him this time, just walked off to nurse her bruised ribs. Tetsuko's rage had died, but she still didn't feel like confronting Bunny about Kriem just for the fact they were going to fight and she didn't feel up to fighting, for once. _Man, I couldn't feel shittier. _She slumped over the sink and cried for the first time in what felt like forever, big fat tears rolled down her face as the illusion of her happy life shattered around her. She was unhappy and didn't want to tell anyone or really do anything to change it because it would just make other people unhappy. _When did I become so helpless? _ _What if he really doesn't like me anymore? Is this his way of telling me I'm not what he wants? _The girl nursed her breaking heart with gallons of ice cream and endless hours in the gym after work and school, not letting anyone in. She brushed off Bunny's attempts to hang out or date, saying she had familial commitments or just plain taking off after work. She didn't want anyone butting in on her pain, choosing to hide it behind her fake smiles, just like she did three years ago when her last love broke her heart.

T&B

Tetsuko was being very evasive as of late and it was bothering Barnaby. She'd go to all their scheduled meetings, but disappear afterwards without a word to the blond. She did the same at work, completing her shift and letting the boy hang onto her hasty goodbyes. They never got together just to bond or hand out. They never kissed any more or talked. Barnaby might've not been in any other relationships, but he knew when something was wrong with one. _Tetsuko's been acting strange lately, _Barnaby thought to himself as he watched his girlfriend laugh at Nathan's outfit. The pinkette was wearing a studded lavender jacket with a black sequined top and black leather pants. He kicked the girl with his purple boots and picked at her get-up: a black graphic tee for a band Barnaby had never heard of, neon green skinny jeans and those sinful black stiletto boots. Her ratted jean jacket was thrown over her backpack and poke through with buttons and patches with more bands and organizations Barnaby didn't recognize. Both girl and boy-girl were joking around like normal. But there was nothing normal with his picture because of one thing: Tetsuko was ignoring the blond and it ticked Barnaby off because he hated being ignored.

_What's her problem? She's been doing this for days now, starting with that day when she kept stepping on my toes. She ruined a pair of perfectly good dress shoes doing that! _Barnaby studied his girlfriend again, chiming into the conversation when appropriate to make his presence known. Tetsuko looked at him when the blond spoke but never longer than a few seconds. The blond noticed that their friends had noticed something was wrong and needed to be fixed. After lunch Nathan cornered Barnaby, literally, and wanted to know what was up.

"Hey, what's wrong with Tets and you? She's being colder than Blue Rose on an ice rink at a fundraiser."

"I have no clue it started last week and she's been like this since then." The blond smacked the black senior's hand away from his rear end, wishing Tetsuko was here so he didn't always have to be on his guard.

"So, trouble in paradise and you don't know why."

"Basically."

"I'll see what I can dig up, but only for a price." Nathan waggled his eyebrows suggestively, trailing a finger up the blonde's tan jacket.

"I'll buy you that new perfume from Bloomingdale's." Barnaby was not doing any sexual kink favors or cross-dressing for the man's enjoyment. Perfume was the next best bet.

"Deal." Nathan flounced off with a wave of his fingers. At work he still hadn't come up with anything and Tetsuko was still dodging the blond. He sat back and waited, content to be patient for the time being. The next day he got a text:

Nathan Seymour: It's something that you did but she won't tell me what it is.

Now Barnaby was really stumped. _Why is she mad at me? What did I do? I can't remember pissing her off. _He wracked his brain for the answer but came up empty. He tried getting her to talk to him but she avoided all his questions with fake smiles and strained chuckles. He tried being especially nice to her but she was still cold. Over the next few days, Barnaby warmed Tetsuko up enough that she was almost back to normal, but he still hadn't figured out what had upset her.

One day while he was staring out the window during class, it began to snow. The little snowflakes that would melt as soon as they hit the ground, but they were still beautiful to watch and while watching, the blond realized that he and his girlfriend hadn't gone out since that day at the ice rink. That mostly was because he'd been trying to meet with Kriem in his free time and the whole reason he was meeting with her was to get information on Jake Martinez. That was Barnaby's main goal: find out if Jake killed his parents. Martinez had a connection with Ouroboros somehow and the blond had found a snippet in the library catalogue that led him to believe that Jake had killed his parents. Just thinking about it made the blonde's blood boil. Jake was in prison when Barnaby found his lead and by the time the blond was set to do anything the guy had been out of jail and kicked his girl in the gut and disappeared before he knew it. That _and_ the fact that while Martinez was in prison his cronies had seen fit to harass the student body at school and get the snot beat out of them by Tetsuko didn't help the situation at all. From his final meeting with Kriem, he'd learned that she helped him get his release and then they both went underground, dropped off the map completely which frustrated Barnaby to no end.

_Gone again! Damn it, why can't I ever make any headway? _Barnaby cursed his bad luck as he attempted to ask Tetsuko out. He wanted to get away from his failure (again) for a little while and decided working on relationship problems was a good place to lose himself for a while. Twice she slipped away before he could approach the subject but the third time being the charm, he finally engaged her in a conversation outside the parking lot before they went to work.

"Hey, do you want to go out tomorrow? That new superhero movie is out and I thought you might want to see it. With me." Barnaby stood by her bike as she hooked her bag onto the rack.

"I'd love to go, Bunny, but I have a commitment tomorrow." The blond felt his face fall, all his plans for getting Tetsuko to tell him what the hell was wrong with her splintering. She glanced up and saw his disappointment before he could hide it. She then wrapped him a hug which was weird. Normally that would've been fine and normal for Tetsuko, but with how she'd been acting towards the boy it just came out as awkward. "I'm sorry, but I can't back out of this one." She gave him that soulful look that Barnaby would never tell her melted his heart. She took his hand, seeming more her old self now than she'd been twenty minutes ago.

"I understand." _No I don't, but she seems sincere. _

"But next week when we're off I can go, 'kay? We don't even have to see that movie if you don't want to." _She's trying to be nice, that's an improvment. Well, she should be. She'd treated me like dirt for far too long. _But Barnaby's cynical thoughts didn't match the soaring of his heart. _Maybe things will get better from here. _

"Whatever you want." Barnaby squeezed her hand, loving how it fit so perfectly into his.

"Thanks, Bunny." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and the blond didn't even comment on the nickname. Then she raced him to work, just like normal. Barnaby won, again, just like normal.

Things got better like Barnaby hoped they would. Tetsuko talked to him, made him the butt of her jokes again and so on. The boy started to feel better about their relationship until she canceled their movie date over a freaking text.

Old Lady: I can't make it. Sorry.

_She didn't even have the decency to call me! _And if that wasn't bad enough, she had to take a personal day at work and then when she was actually working, Tetsuko was distracted and clumsy.

"What's going on, old lady?" Barnaby confronted her after a particularly bad day at work. People were rude and grumpy and complained about everything and Kaburagi had broken no less than seven dishes. And two of them had meals on them when they crashed to the floor.

"It's nothing, Bunny. Just a bad day." She wouldn't look him in the eyes as she began unclipping her shoulder pads.

"It's not that." He took her chin in his fingers and made the girl look up. "Something's bothering you and its affecting our performance at work and yours at school. I know you fail your two exams on Tuesday. Tell me what's wrong." She flinched at his words, her golden flitting around his face.

"I can't." She gripped his free hand with both of hers. Barnaby could feel her pulse racing in her veins through both their gloves.

"Why not?" He was pissed that she wasn't fessing up. Usually people did what he wanted and Tetsuko not doing that was ruffling his feathers. This game they were playing was growing tiresome and the blond was done with it.

"It's complicated and I want to tell you but I can't right now." She smiled softly, blowing some of her spiky hair out of her face. "I'll tell you soon, okay? Just trust me for now."

"Fine." _Like hell you're leaving me in the dark. _Barnaby was going to get to the bottom of this if it killed him. Tetsuko was going to explain herself, but first the boy was going to see where she kept spiriting off to.

On a Saturday morning much like the one where the group went to the ice rink, Barnaby followed Tetsuko as she sped along the highway into the privileged part of the Silver Stage. _I've sunk so low to be stalking her, but the old lady's a closed book. What could she be doing here? She doesn't shop here, work is on the other side of the Stage, and none of the others are meeting her all the way over here. _Barnaby had asked around her friends to see where Tetsuko went in her spare time. Nobody really knew outside their usual hangouts and they'd all assumed that the blond would be the one to know that (since they were dating an all). Even Nathan only knew of work, school and where she usually hung out in Bronze and the outer part of Silver, nothing pertaining to this section of the Stage had crossed his radar. This was nowhere near any place she'd been before with any of her friends.

Tetsuko zoomed through the streets with the experience of a professional racer, probably gained from challenging Barnaby to beat her to work, which he did. She only stopped once, to buy something at a toy store and attach the bag to her bike rack. Barnaby watched her with a critical eye, tailing her every move carefully and out of sight. She drove into one of the residential districts and wound around the houses until she stopped at a house with a sprawling front yard and smelled of money. She parked her bike in the driveway behind a Mustang and a BMW and whistled as she practically skipped up to the door. By this point Barnaby was up a tree watching her from through binoculars in a neighboring property, his bike hidden a street over. Tetsuko put on her biggest grin and rang the doorbell, her package tightly held under one arm. Barnaby didn't expect what happened next.

"MOM!" A little brown haired girl in a bright blue coat and boots rocketed out of the house and tackled Tetsuko's legs, causing both of them to crash to the ground. _Mom? _Barnaby's brain short circuited as he watched the scene unfold.

"Kaede, sweetheart! How are you today?" Tetsuko pinched the toddler's cheeks and hugged her tightly.

"Good! Now let me go!" The bright eyed girl blinked her baby browns at the teenager as she struggled to break free. She was wearing striped stockings over her skinny jeans and Tetsuko zipped up her blue coat over the black shirt underneath.

"Sorry, Tetsuko. I tried to stop her." A middle aged woman with blonde hair an eye for style waltzed out the door in a stunning red top and black skirt. She was followed by a man who Barnaby assumed was her husband. He had the professor look: thick rimmed glasses, muted sweater and tan dress slacks paired with dress shoes.

"Its okay, Mrs. Reed! I'm just happy to see her feeling better!"

"She really wanted to see you again, because last time you left in such a hurry." The man spoke with a soft voice that Barnaby had a hard time hearing.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Kaede. Tetsuko had to go back to work, they needed me there." The blond boy remembered that day: Tetsuko had left suddenly and Mr. Jackson had called her back to finish her shift. _So, that explains it. She'd been coming here on those days when she's not on a date with me. I don't know whether to be relieved or hurt. _"Shouldn't we go inside? I mean, Kaede was just sick." Tetsuko set the little pale girl on her feet and stood up.

"No, she'll be fine. She'd been cooped up for a whole week, right sweetie?" The woman smiled down at the girl.

"Yeah! Momma had me eat icky stuff! And I couldn't play outside!" The girl hugged the blonde woman's leg and made a face. _So she's momma? Then why did Kaede call Tetsuko "mom"? _

"That was medicine, Kaede. It wasn't going to help you get better." The man reached down to fix the yellow ribbon holding the girl's hair up in a side pony tail.

"It was icky!"

"Yeah, I think so too." Tetsuko laughed and Kaede spotted the package in her arms. Her eyes got really wideand her face erupted into a smile.

"Is that for me?" She reached up, clenching and unclenching her hands.

"Yep! It's for you, peanut!" Tetsuko presented the package from the toy store to the bouncing toddler and she basically ripped open the bag.

"Mine!" The girl yanked out the fluorescent pink teddy bear and hugged it close. "Tanks, mom!"

"Kaede, we've been through this." Tetsuko kneeled down to the child's level and ran her hand through the pony tail. "Mrs. Reed is you mom and Mr. Reed is your dad. I'm Tetsuko, okay?"

"No, you're mom. I came from here." Kaede pointed to the brunette's stomach, holding tight to her new bear. _Wait. What? Kaede is Tetsuko's daughter? _Barnaby nearly fell out of his tree. This was monumental. Tetsuko was a mother. A mother. Barnaby's stomach disappeared and his brain did that thing again where he couldn't move past the word "mom". _This was her big secret? She's got a kid. That's pretty huge._ Barnaby felt betrayed, not knowing something this big about his own girlfriend. He started to sweat, his hands trembling as he held onto his binoculars.

"Yes, sweetie, but these are you parents." Tetsuko pointed to the Reeds, her eyes hiding huge amounts of pain as Barnaby watched from his tree.

"I know." The girl pointed at each parent in turn, "Momma. Dadda. Mom." She pointed at Tetsuko with a look on her face like this should be the easiest thing in the world to understand, similar to the look Barnaby gave the brunette all the time.

"Don't try to explain it away, Tetsuko. She's already got it in her head and you're part of the family now." Mr. Reed chuckled as he shrugged on his coat and offered his wife hers. They stepped outside and shut the door behind them. "We've tried to tell her all that too."

" Hey, Kaede, why don't you show Tetsuko how far you can count? I'm sure she'd love to hear it," Mrs. Reed prompted her daughter.

"One, two, three, four, six, five, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen!" Everyone chuckled at her, congratulating the child even she'd mixed up two numbers.

"That's amazing, Kaede! So smart!" Tetsuko picked up the girl and swung her around a few times above her head as she squealed and giggled. Then she settled the child on her hip to ask her more questions. "What else can you tell Tetsuko?"

"I can name colors!"

"Okay, let me hear 'em!"

"Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, black!" Kaede pointed at the colors she could see outside as she rattled off her list.

"Good job! You're learning so much!" Tetusko tickled the toddler, causing her to squeal again.

"Yes, she can also brush her teeth and enjoys talking our ears off with her questions." Mrs. Reed gave Tetsuko a side-hug as she joined the teen on the walkway.

"Oh, really? What sorts of questions?"

"Like why it rains, why can't she go outside, when you're coming next, why she has to eat dinner before having a treat, why she has to take a bath and things like that." Mrs. Reed sat down on the porch as he made his own list.

"Well, it's official. You're too smart for your own good!" Tetsuko tossed the girl into the air and caught her again.

"Stop! Stop! It tickles!" Kaede squirmed until Tetsuko put her down and started chasing her. She ran around the yard screaming loudly as Tetsuko followed her, threatening the girl with tickles if she got caught. The teen eventually snatched the girl and tickled her viciously. They lay together on the ground, staring up at the sky with Kaede resting on Tetsuko's chest. The toddler suddenly flipped around and poked the brunette's breast, earning a startled gasp.

"Why don't boys have boobies like mom and momma?" Kaede's question caught all the adults off guard and Barnaby blushed up in his tree. His legs were aching in his crouch so he shifted to a sitting position while he tried to figure out the whole familial situation of the people on the ground.

"Uh, because boobies are for babies and only moms can have babies." The teen thought up an answer quick. _Boobies are for boys too, you liar. _

"Nice save." Mrs. Reed patted her on the back as she took Kaede off Tetsuko. Kaede got set on the ground again and ran around some more asking question about the grass and the sky that Tetsuko answered the best she could when Barnaby knew all the _correct_ answers already. Then the child yammered about her next birthday and how she was going to be five and get so many more presents than her last birthday when she tripped and fell forward on her hands. The adults were in motion instantly.

"Kuso!" The little girl swore in Japanese with such ease it startled Barnaby.

"Kaede where did you learn that?" Mrs. Reed walked over to her daughter, her face a mask of displeasure, but her eyes were shining with laughter.

"Mom. She said it when she forgets something. Or when she hurts somewhere." Kaede giggled, thrilled at getting such a comic reaction out of Tetsuko, who just gaped at her from the ground.

"Sweetie, that's a bad word. You're not supposed to say bad words until you're at least Tetsuko's age."

"Are there more?" Kaede looked ready to memorize every swearword thrown at her in the moment.

"Yes, but I'm not telling you any of them." She fixed her daughter's crooked pony tail for the millionth time.

"Damn." The little monster pouted with her arms crossed. _She is seriously cute._

"That's another one you're not supposed to say."

"That one too?" Kaede looked completely heartbroken that her vocabulary was getting shortened.

"Where did you hear that one?"

"Mom."

"Any others like that? Like when she stubs her toe or breaks something?" The Reeds knew Tetsuko as well as Barnaby did. _Well, they have to, I guess, since they adopted her…her…_

"Shit too?"

"Yes, you're not supposed to say that." Mrs. Reed gave Tetsuko a glare that rivaled Barnaby's and the brunette just shrugged, laughing off her foul mouth.

"She was going to learn them sooner than later anyway."

"Yeah, but you don't have to teach them to her." Mr. Reed was talking to the teen in the lecture voice as he stood to join his wife.

"She's an ass." Kaede chimed in.

"KAEDE!" All three adults shouted and the little monster outright burst into laughter. The morning turned into afternoon and Tetsuko had to leave to and "finish some things" before she went to work. Kaede whined and begged her to stay longer and after promises of calling more and bribing with promises of gifts the girl finally let her go.

"Can you visit soon, mom?" She gave Tetsuko the soulful look that Tetsuko used on Barnaby, they were definitely related.

"Not as often as I have, okay sweetheart? This week was special because you were so sick. I'll still call, I promise." She wrapped the little cherub into a warm hug and sent her off to her parents. By this time, the blond boy had decided that it was best to confront this situation right now and had climbed down his tree quietly. His stomach was roiling around and he wanted to vomit. _She's a mom and she didn't tell. She's had sex with another guy and didn't tell me. Why didn't she tell me? This is huge! This is not something you keep a secret! _Barnaby silenced his thoughts as he listened to the last of the goodbyes from behind his tree. He stepped out when he heard the door to the house shut.

"So you've got a kid." He brought out his lecture voice and glared disapprovingly at the girl who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Bunny! You scared me!" She'd jumped at his voice, her hand on her chest. "What are you doing here?" Her own glare came out as she realized that the blond had followed her.

"Finding out what you're doing here."

"Did you follow me?"

"Yes." No point in hiding it.

"You couldn't just let me wait to tell you?"

"Why did you keep her a secret?"

"I told you: it's complicated! Only Antonio knows about Kaede out of our friends because he was by my side when I was pregnant!" Tetsuko looked completely lost, like a fish out of water, looking everywhere but at Barnaby now. She shifted on her feet and clenched her hands together.

"So you couldn't tell your boyfriend that you slept with another man and had his child?" The hurt leaked into the boy's voice and his insecurity as well.

"Why does it matter to you? I was a stupid fifteen year old who made a bad choice."

"So Kaede was a bad choice?"

"No! She's such a darling. She deserves better than me, so I gave her up. But that still doesn't explain why you're here, _Bunny._" Tetsuko was angry now, glaring and getting right into the blonde's face.

"I wanted to know what was going on with you! Why you'd been skipping work and our dates!"

"I could ask the same of you!" They were both yelling now, getting all their pent up frustration out in the open with one big fight.

"What?" Barnaby snapped at the brunette. She was meeting his gaze steadily now, her anger blazing like a fire.

"I wanted to know why you were avoiding me two weeks ago, why _you_ turned down all _my_ invitations to hang out. I saw you with Kriem, you lying asshole!"

"You _followed_ me? You're such a hypocrite!"

"You weren't so forthcoming with information so I went to find out myself! Turns out your just a lying son of a bitch who was too much of dick to tell his _girlfriend_ that he was cheating on her!" Tetsuko shoved Barnaby's shoulders making him stumble back a couple steps. He shoved back just as hard.

"I was not cheating on you! I was getting information from about Jake Martinez! He's the one who killed my parents!"

"Good! Glad that's all cleared up!" The brunette threw her hands in the air sarcastically. "But it still doesn't justify you lying to me.

"You've been lying to everyone this whole time about your kid! Well I guess that proves what everyone says about you." Barnaby spit out the words, not meaning any of the filth that was pouring out of his mouth. Okay, he meant it a little bit.

"What?" She snapped clearly pissed off.

"That you're a slut and this whore baby proves-" Barnaby didn't expect to get punched in the gut. He clutched his torso, glaring up at his girlfriend.

"You can say whatever you want about me, but leave my daughter out of it." She growled, baring her fangs as a threat.

"Whatever." Barnaby stood up, catching his breath and squaring off with the brunette. "I guess we're through then." Tetsuko looked at least a tiny bit shocked, but her eyes turned cold and she nodded.

"I guess we can't work this out. Whatever 'this' was." She gestured in between them bitterly and turned away to straddle her bike.

"Well, if you can't trust me, I can't trust you. We can't base a relationship off of something like that."

"Yeah, you're right, Bunny. You're always right. I hope you're happy now." She revved her engine menacingly and swerved it around towards the road, narrowly missing knocking the blond over because he'd jumped out of the way. Barnaby brushed off his jacket.

"The name's _Barnaby_, old lady." He sneered.

"I don't fucking care at this point." She flipped him off and screeched out of the driveway. Barnaby began walking back to where his bike was, feeling empty and depressed. That was his big break up and it felt nothing like novels made it out to be. The blond dejectedly trailed to his bike, all his anger evaporated when he heard the slide of a window.

"FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Kaede was leaning out her front window to curse at the blond, apparently taking her birthmother's side. Then her eyes got wide and she blushed bright red. "Cute fucking asshole!" Then the window slammed shut.

The next day's lunch was quiet without Kaburagi there and Nathan was smart enough not to ask questions. If Barnaby thought things were bad before, they were even worse now. Everybody knew about the break up and he was swamped by his fan girls every waking moment without Tetsuko to fend them off. She didn't even look at him or acknowledge him now at all, staying out of trouble just so she didn't get carded by the boy. They work partnership was strained and tense. Their friends had no idea what to do and Barnaby was losing his mind. First Jake was gone and now Tetsuko, two anchors that kept him rooted to the ground. Revenge and friendship. Poof! Gone.

The day it happened their Friday afternoon hang out session was quieter than usual because Tetsuko was gone (but Barnaby didn't care, maybe), President Goodman had a mandatory meeting and Ivan had mysteriously disappeared from school, no biggie. But then it happened. It arrived by their window seat (it was too cold to be outside by the tree) before they got there, wrapped up in black paper with a red bow and addressed to "Revenge Boy," which they decided meant it was for Barnaby. When the blond opened it, crowded around by Karina, Pao-Lin and Nathan, he discovered a red laptop. There was a note card inside, decorated with creepy little stitched up bears that were grotesquely grinning up from their card. The note read:

To Revenge Boy and friends: Mr. Jake and I would love to play a game with you, one where we test you all because of the trouble Kaburagi and Brooks have made for us. Please open the laptop and type in the password Ouroboros and then hit enter. Open up the internet and get into your email account. There's a message under Game Rules that you need to read before you can play. All will be explained there. Thanks for playing! Game on!

Kriem

"What the hell?" Nathan leaned over Barnaby's shoulder to read the note and then pass it to Karina and Pao-Lin.

"Well, do it. Let's find out what this 'game' is." Pao-Lin opened up the laptop and turned it on setting it on Barnaby's legs when he sat down by the window. The middle school girl took the floor while Nathan and Karina took the seats next to him. Barnaby typed in the password and entered it into the computer. When the desktop popped up, the Ouroboros insignia was the background and Barnaby's heart started to race. He opened up his email and found the message Kriem sent. He clicked on "Game Rules" and stared at the message in front of him:

GAME RULES:

-Mr. Jake and I will be sending you videos which you have to watch to play the game.

-Everyone must play the game in some way, whether by watching or participating.

-The videos must be watched as they come in, or else there will be dire consequences-the laptop will ping when you get a new message.

-If you notify the police, whichever of your friends is in the video will die and we will come after you.

-Ouroboros thanks you for playing! Enjoy the show!

-And P.S. Barnaby you're such a dear for letting me know all about you and your friends, otherwise none of this would be possible! Thanks a ton! Kisses! Kriem

"That's just morbid!" Nathan clutched his chest.

"And we can't contact the police. What does that mean?" Pao-Lin asked.

"It means that Jake and Kreim are doing something against the law and they holding us hostage until their plan is complete. I don't know what they're trying to do but it's not going to be good." Barnaby tapped the key board, once again ready to vomit. _She used me while I was using her? How is that even possible? _His thoughts were interrupted as the computer pinged. There was a new message. Barnaby clicked on the email labled ROUND ONE and opened the file. Inside was a video link, only a few minutes long. He clicked play.

"Welcome to round one of our little game!" Kriem's mocking voice filtered in through the speakers. She was recording from and abandonded building, debris strewn all over the floor. "In this round, Mr. Jake's taking on the little Japanophile from your clique of friends. Will the little wannabe survive his encounter?" The camera swung around to a bound and gagged Ivan lying on the floor. He squirmed in his bonds. Jake Martinez walked into the shot, swaggering in decked in his crazy clothes and an insane smile.

"Well, well. Cut the kid some slack, huh? Let's get this party started!" He cackled as Ivan's bonds were cut. The blond tried to run, never one for confrontation, but he was stopped when Jake cut him off and kicked him in the stomach and sent him tumbling to the ground. Ivan got up and dodged kicks and punches as best he could, fear evident in his eyes. Kriem kept singing Jake's praises as he pummeled Ivan into the ground. The blonde's head was bleeding, his clothes torn as he fought to stay conscious, suffering from multiple open wounds. Three minutes of hell later and the boy was out cold with a crooning criminal dancing around his body lying limply on the floor. Then the man became bored and picked his teeth.

"That was too easy. Next time give me a challenge, okay? That almost wasn't worth my time."

"Well, looks like Mr. Jake is undefeated! We eagerly await the next round! Bye, bye for now." Kriem's face entered the shot and gave the viewers a Cheshire cat grin and then winked out. Barnaby felt sick, his face clammy and his hands trembled. Pao-Lin was curled on the floor, trying to block out Ivan's screams of pain. Karina was staring blankly at the screen and Nathan had turned away and was visibly sweating. Barnaby's phone rang and startled a scream out of everyone. The blond picked up and shakily said, "Hello."

"Barnaby Brooks Jr.?" The woman on the other end asked.

"Yes?"

"We have an Ivan Karelin who was just admitted into the hospital anonymously. We have contacted his parents but before he went into surgery he asked us to call you and tell you to be careful. I don't have anything else to tell you, but would you please notify anyone else who would need to know about Ivan?"

"Yes, I will." _Good he's getting help. _That little thought did nothing to ease the growing dread in Barnaby's stomach.

"Thank you. We'll contact you if anything else comes up."

"Thanks." He hung up and relayed the message to the others. They stared at each other and the computer screen. Barnaby didn't want to look at the video's paused screen a moment longer so he shut the laptop. They notified Mr. Jackson that Ivan wouldn't make it to work for a while because he was in the hospital. The four teens sat around trying to process the fact that they were being hunted down.

That night as Hero's Bar was subdued, all the pieces playing their parts, Barnaby and Wild Tigress avoiding each with glares and Origami Cyclone was knowingly absent. Sky High never showed up and after work long after everyone had left (including Tigress and Mr. Jackson), the four who'd seen the first video got together to discuss the other blonde's absence. That's when the computer in Barnaby's backpack pinged again. They all jumped, fear spiking through the air. Barnaby logged in, his fingers barely working. His email had another message labeled ROUND TWO. The blond clicked open the file.

A/N: I sorry I, sob, had to, sob, make them, sob, fight! I hate break ups but they're necessary! Remember to comment and review or else you might get a creepy video post...dun, dun, DUUUUNNNNN!


	8. Targeted

Hey, ZareEraz here! The author who has the bad habit of kissing her cats when she has lip gloss on! (Yuck, talk about fur everywhere!) Here's the fall out of the break up (sob). I do not own Tiger & Bunny, but when I become a megalamassive billionaire I will buy them and hold them close to my heart!

Chapter Eight: Targeted

The day they broke up, Tetsuko found herself at Tomoe's grave just as the sun set. She kneeled on the ground, sent up a prayer to her deceased boyfriend and then set about cleaning off his headstone with delicate hands. _You're so dirty, Tomoe. Guess that means I haven't been here a lot lately, huh? Sorry. It's nice you see you again. The stars are out tonight, the ones you used to be able to spot even through the smog. _She brushed off some leaves from the headstone pillar and ghosted her hands along Tomoe's name. _I had a fight with Bunny, the most horrible fight ever! We broke up and I don't even know if he's going to talk to me again. _Tetsuko sighed and began to cry again, the past few weeks' emotions tumbling down in one weak moment. She banged her fist against the cold stone, breaking her skin on the rough surface. She wiped off the specks of blood and clenched her hand against her chest.

"I don't know what's going on. Everything was fine, and then it wasn't. My whole life feels like it's falling apart! I don't know what to do, Tomoe. I'm so lost." Tetsuko slumped to the ground, wiping tears away with the heels of her hands. She curled up into a ball and relived her and Bunny's horrible fight. _How did this even happen?_

"_I wanted to know what was going on with you! Why you'd been skipping work and our dates!" He looked so betrayed, like Tetsuko had ripped his heart out. _

"_I could ask the same of you!" She wasn't about to let him pin this all on her! He'd given her the same treatment as she did to him! They were both yelling now, getting all their pent up frustration out in the open with one big fight. _

"_What?" Bunny snapped at the brunette. Tetsuko was meeting his own glare with one of her own that was just as fierce. _

"_I wanted to know why you were avoiding me two weeks ago, why you turned down all my invitations to hang out. I saw you with Kriem, you lying asshole!" Just saying the words brought up all the dirty emotions and hurt feelings she'd been keeping to herself. Tetsuko quickly blinked away tears that threatened to undo her rage. _

"_You followed me? You're such a hypocrite!"_

"_You weren't so forthcoming with information so I went to find out myself! Turns out your just a lying son of a bitch who was too much of dick to tell his girlfriend that he was cheating on her!" Tetsuko shoved Bunny's shoulders, wanting him to feel something of what she was feeling. Getting physical was always her outlet, even if it happened to be on her boyfriend. Bunny shoved her back, retaliating with just as much force. _

"_I was not cheating on you! I was getting information from about Jake Martinez! He's the one who killed my parents!" _

"_Good! Glad that's all cleared up!" The brunette threw her hands in the air sarcastically, finally knowing the truth. It didn't make her feel any better. "But it still doesn't justify you lying to me." _

"_You've been lying to everyone this whole time about your kid! Well I guess that proves what everyone says about you." Bunny spit out the words like they burned his mouth. _

"_What?" She snapped back at him, venom dripping from the word. _

"_That you're a slut and this whore baby proves-" Tetsuko lost it. Her hands balled up in fists and before she knew it, she'd punched Bunny in the stomach. He reflexively clutched his torso and glared up at the girl. _

"_You can say whatever you want about me, but leave my daughter out of it." She growled, baring her fangs as a threat. _No one insults Kaede in front of me and gets away with it, _she thought to herself. _

"_Whatever." Bunny stood up, catching his breath and squaring off with the brunette. "I guess we're through then." Tetsuko knew it was coming, but it still hurt. To break up this way was horrible, but it couldn't be avoided and now they couldn't take back any of their hateful words. She nodded coldly._

"_I guess we can't work this out. Whatever 'this' was." She gestured in between them bitterly and turned away to straddle her bike. She was done here. Nothing was left of what the two of them had. _

"_Well, if you can't trust me, I can't trust you. We can't base a relationship off of something like that." Trust. _It's such a small thing, but it's a big deal.

"_Yeah, you're right, Bunny. You're always right. I hope you're happy now."_

Tetsuko's head dropped in defeat, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks and onto the concrete. She was trembling; her hands shook as she clutched at her knees. _I'm so horrible, Tomoe! I didn't trust him, so he didn't think he should trust me! All I wanted to know was why. Why, is that too much to ask? And now he probably won't speak to me and I feel terrible. What should I do? Tell me what to do._ The sigh of the wind was the girl's only answer.

_I miss you so much. Why did you have to die? Why couldn't you stay with me? We were going to be together forever, just you, me and Kaede. You were going to be her other father, the one she'd bug for presents instead of me. I know you said it was the best thing to give her up for adoption, but then I lost you and I've sort of lost the last part of you on this earth by letting her go. She's our child. She's so perfect. Did you know she called Bunny a fucking asshole today? She yelled it so loud I could hear it a whole street over. _The girl chuckled and looked up at the sky. _If you can see us, will you watch over both of us? I may not know what I'm doing, but it's nice to have someone who's level-headed looking out for me. Like Bunny does. Or did. _

"He keeps me in line so much, like you used to when you were class rep." Tetsuko reminisced to the empty cemetery. "You'd nag my ass and whip me into shape when I made trouble for myself. In middle school you'd always fix my bow tie when it was crooked and share you lunch when mine got destroyed in a fight. And then you'd lecture me on my manners when I ate half of your food, you'd defend Antonio and me when we got in trouble and you were all set on being Valedictorian when we were sophomores. It would've been so much better if you were the one who lived." Tetsuko traced out the kanji for Tomoe's name on the ground as she spoke, going over the surface again and again. "If you had lived, I think you'd like all my new friends. And Bunny too, even though we're fighting right now. He's a lot like you: stern, strict and loves following the rules. But he's got a caring side he doesn't let everyone see, the one that you showed everyone often. He also likes giving little kisses all the time. I'm going to miss those." Tetsuko, lightly smacked her head against the tombstone repeatedly, tapping out the beat of her heart. "Why can't I seem to stay in a relationship without something major happening? I just don't understand it. I try so hard to make things right and they just fall apart."

_Then don't try so hard. _

"Huh?" Tetsuko swore she'd just heard someone speak to her. She stood up and looked around. She was alone into the graveyard. She shrugged her shoulders. "Must've been the wind. I guess I should be going before the caretaker or someone else kicks me out. I sorta trespassed coming to see you and don't need to end up in court. Again. Thanks for listening. Bye, Tomoe. I'll visit soon, 'kay?" Tetsuko brushed her hands across his stone again, one last time before running to the fence and hopping it. The brunette decided that there was at least one person she should talk to besides Tomoe.

"Hey, 'Tonio. There's something I have to tell you." She scuffed her shoes on the ground as she walked. She was surprised that her best friend took her call, he was still at work.

"What's up, 'Suko?"

"Bunny and I broke up." _Well, that's the simple, non-complicated version. _

"Why?" He sounded concerned over the phone, but that could've been because of the background noise.

"Good question." And then she let it all spill out. Well, most of it. She didn't tell him about the day's emotional torture (that was private girl stuff he wouldn't want to listen to anyway); he didn't need to worry about her. She was going to bounce back from this in no time. Maybe. Probably not.

"That sounded like quite the break-up. And you really punched him?"

"Yeah, I've been waiting to do that for a _long_ time."

"Now, what? Are you feeling okay?"

"No. I feel like shit that's been stepped on all day. Do you have any booze? I feel like getting out of my head right now."

"Sure, as long as you don't take off you panties this time. You totally did that in a bar full of men last time you and Tomoe had a fight." His voice went pointed, like he thought she'd forgotten that episode. It actually _was_ a bit of a blur. _Blame it on the alcohol. _

"I promise not to take off my panties." The brunette put her hand up in the air oath-style, even thought the Spaniard couldn't see it. "But I make no promises about my bra."

"Great," he replied sarcastically, "and one more thing," Antonio paused, to make sure she was listening.

"What?"

"Don't go through that Buddha/yoga phase again. It was creepy."

"A girl's got to have her self-improvement. Hey, wanna hear a really awful poem I just made up about Bunny?"

"You're going to tell it to me anyway even if I say no, right?"

"Yep."

"Let's hear it then."

"It's a limerick, mind you." She cleared her throat professionally and began to recite, "Bunny's a real big dick, all the time he acts like a prick, he don't give a damn, his life is a sham, and he takes care of his hair like a chick."

"Fantastic. That's even worse than the one you made up for Doc Saito." Antonio chuckled on the other side of the line.

"Just wait until I get into my haiku phase." Tetsuko

"Dear god, no!" Antonio shouted so loud that his boss started to yell at him to get back to work.

"Bunny is an ass, even the donkey thinks so, they should go out now." Tetsuko counted out the poetry syllables on her fingers as she read them off in a broken tone.

"I said, 'dear god, no' Tetsuko! That means: DEAR GOD,NO!"

"I didn't listen." She broke up the words again, counting off the parts like she did in the haiku.

"I'll pick you up as soon as I'm off work, so please stop making up poetry!"

"Good. Hurry up your ass!" She hung up with a _click. Post Brea- Up Ritual: bad poetry about ex: check, drop dead drunk night: in progress, new self improvement/make him jealous plan: consult Nathan. _

Antonio picked up the girl by their favorite drug store and they snuck into the Kaburagi's shop to restock the bull-man's stash of beer and then drank half of it anyway. Tetsuko woke up at home the next day in Antonio's shirt, missing her bra and recalling the vague memory of doing something with a stick of butter, a can of paint, diet cola and Mentos. She rolled out of her bed and onto the floor with a _smack. _It was only five in the morning and her hangover was already pounding in her head. The girl groaned but made the effort to get up and get ready, even if it was ungodly early. _I will not fall into the post break-up grunge stage. I have to at least look presentable. Ow, my head. _Flipping on the bathroom lights was a bad idea and Tetsuko collapsed to the ground, holding her head under her arms.

"Damn it! Why must drinking have such shitty consequences?" She grumped as she went through her morning ritual, making a list of things to do as she brushed her teeth, did her hair and applied make-up.

"Get more ice cream, you ate all of it in the house the last time you caught Bunny with Kriem." Her teeth were squeaky clean. "Do not drive past Bunny's apartment like a crazy ex, it'll only waste gas and you have other things to buy. Like a manicure and pedicure." Tetsuko's hair was now pulled into a messy-on-purpose pony tail. "Reminder: get Nathan's advice on what style's in season for nail polish and where the best place to get a relatively inexpensive makeover is. Buy a new razor; you chipped the last one when you dropped it in the shower that last time you shaved. Reminder: keep shaving." Make- up now done, the brunette trudged back to her room to get dressed. "You should try growing your hair out, Tetsuko. Tomoe liked it long that one year it fell past your shoulder blades." She grabbed a fresh, not-missing bra and donned her school uniform. She slung on her jacket as she grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Tetsuko dreaded seeing Bunny. She got to school really early, that combination of nerves and alcohol got her up before the sun so she decided that to school she would go. She was in the grounds before she knew what was happening. The brunette stayed awake through first period and actually took notes this time. Homeroom was hell. She couldn't even look at Bunny without starting to cry, her self confidence from this morning evaporating, so she stared straight ahead, avoiding his concerned/angry (how was that possible?) glances and couldn't even take pleasure in the fact that he was drowning in fan girls again. It just hit home that they weren't dating anymore. She wasn't his girlfriend, she was an ex now. Lunch was held in the girl's bathroom because Tetsuko didn't want to face her friends and her ex. They both refused to look at each other in their P.A. meeting and didn't even brush shoulders at work.

The next Thursday, Tetsuko did something she regretted: she went to a salon. One fabulous friend clued her into a fantastic place that had moderately cheap prices and set her up with an appointment for like _everything. _Mani, pedi, eyebrow wax, not-eyebrow wax, facial, massage and make up lessons. And then he joined her, of course, chatting her ear off when it was possible between and during his own treatments. Tetsuko loved the pampering on her feet and nails (she went with emerald green, you just can't go wrong with a classic), hated the ripping out of her hair with hot fucking _wax_, thought the facial was sort of weird but enjoyed it nonetheless and absolutely adored the massage. All the aches, pains and knots embedded into her muscles just melted away as they were kneaded out by skilled hands. Nathan was on the table next to the brunette and continued talking to her, turning to more serious conversations after a while.

"Did your boobs get bigger, girl?" He poked the side of her boob from the next table over.

"Yes, don't touch. I've been eating ice cream lately." Tetsuko batted his hand away from a second attempt at prodding.

"So the weight does go to your boobs first, interesting."

"You've been listening to Karina way too much."

"Have you been eating ice cream because you and Handsome broke up? What happened? You guys went through a rough patch for a bit but then it seemed to get better. So why end the relationship?" Nathan turned his head towards the girl, his fuchsia eyes imploring.

"Bunny sniffed into something he shouldn't have. I also did some sniffing _I_ shouldn't have. We didn't trust each other and it got in the way. I don't want to talk about it anymore." Tetsuko folded her arms so she could rest her head on them while lying on her stomach, not making eye contact with Nathan.

"Oh, well then I guess I'll ask later." Nathan dropped the subject, but Tetsuko knew that he was dying to know what the hell was going on.

"You do that."

"Anyway, did you hear about the new car Cleo's dad's stepmom is buying for her? She's totally going to wreck it the second she gets behind the wheel because we all know she's a terrible driver. I mean seriously, the girl can't even tell left from right and let me just say…" Nathan went back to being Nathan and Tetsuko fell asleep on him. Afterwards they got coffee at a cozy café and Tetsuko actually felt sort of normal. Except for the gaping hole where her heart used to be. _I hope this doesn't last too long, I can't walk around not trying to pretend I'm not a zombie. Or that I hurt. Or that I still care. _Tetsuko left her transvestite friend just as the sun was setting, getting home to show off her new nails to her kaa-san before doing her number one alternative to falling asleep quick that didn't involve any beer: studying. She set a new record: five minutes.

Friday she was still avoiding Bunny, but she secretly kept watching him to see if he noticed her knew nails and make-up. He didn't as far as she could tell. _Damn, my plan to make him jealous is not going according to plan. _She resisted the urge to chew her glossed lips and painted nails in frustration. She spent lunch in the bathroom again. Tetsuko didn't even go to their usual Friday before-work hang out session; she raced around town instead and then went to work. _Something's not right. Everyone's acting really weird. _Tetsuko watched her fellow heroes, noticing the one she usually didn't notice was missing. _Where's Origami? _She caught Bunny looking at her and set her eyes to Death Glare. He glared right back, looking ridiculous while doing it in his pink bunny headphones, dispelling the gloomy mood and replacing it with a tense one. After work, she didn't stick around and stepped on Bunny's foot for good measure as she rushed out the door.

_I've got to hurry or I'll be late. _Tetsuko mounted her bike and rocketed out of the parking lot, taking to the streets at no less than fifty miles per hour. She weaved in and out of traffic at reckless speeds, heading towards Bronze. She passed through the Stage border after twenty minutes of driving and drove in the direction of the abandoned water canals. The girl arrived just in time.

The races were in full swing, the drug dealers were selling like crazy, and the technos had set up a DJ booth to blast music since the warehouse district was empty at night and the police never patrolled this area anyway. The brunette pulled into the race quarter, her Chaser glowing green amid the dim lights of the canal. Below the surface but open to the sky, the canals stretched for miles and twisted under speedways and buildings, perfect for any type of race whether drag or long distance. Tetsuko shut off her engine and dismounted wearing her usual race attire: black skinny jeans, clunky black combat boots, a black lace up corset and her black and green visor helmet. The only thing missing was her neon green and black tiger jacket (which she'd misplaced somehow) and instead she'd substituted it with a black one.

"Hey Tiger, glad you could make it." The proprietor of the races, Mr. Micah Trotsky walked up to the girl with a smile on his face. The man was in his late twenties now, but he'd been gathering racers here since he was in high school.

"Glad to be here, Micah." The brunette took off her helmet and shook out her hair, happy he had the foresight to leave on her domino mask after work. She walked up to the older man and shook his hand. "Is it a free for all tonight or matched?"

"Matched," the blond man ran his hand through his hair and brushed some dust off of his leather jacket. He may be the CEO of the biggest car company in the city, but that didn't mean he had to wear a suit to have fun at his own games. Micah was in all black, looking like he was going to race himself. He had the most massive sideburns that stretched down from his hairline into an impromptu beard that ended before his chin, possibly a trait from his teenage rebel days. _If I had a beard it wouldn't be that big. Too much work to maintain. Something small, but cool! _

"Who's my match?" Tetsuko asked.

"Romero Gonzalez."

"Good, I've been waitin' to pound down his ego," she growled with a smile. Romero and Tetsuko were vying for the title of best motorcycle racer and they hadn't had a match race yet, but he'd rub all his victories in her face and she'd do the same to him. One time they even got into a fist fight over it.

"I know, so this is a reward for all you hard work. Romero was leveling out before you joined the ranks. Now he's got a run for his money since your scratching at his heels. And speaking of money, tonight's winner gets to take the purse."

"How much?"

"Since it's not a tournament the pot isn't massive," Micah shrugged, "but you two always churn out bets no matter where you race. Five thousand." _That'll pay for almost two semesters of college. I have to win! _

"Good." She didn't let her excitement show, keeping her face in neutral satisfaction. "Drag or distance?" Tetsuko's and Romero's specialty was drag, short and fast.

"Distance." _Damn. _"Otherwise it's no fun!" Micah smiled devilishly. "We'll also be filming for the big screens so put on a good show."

"You bet." Tetsuko worked it out in her head: Romero had more skill when it came to the distance races but the girl had been practicing with Bunny on their way to work so her skills were improving. She was also more prone to take risks that Gonzalez wouldn't take unless he was absolutely sure he could pull it off, which left him with few tricks to pull.

"Go get ready, you're race begins in ten minutes."

"Gotcha." Tetsuko went back to her Chaser for a last minute check and kneeled to inspect her bike. _You know, when Bunny accused me of drag racing on school property, he was half right. _Satisfied that her motorcycle was in perfect order the girl rolled to into the spot that was dubbed "on deck", a waiting zone for racers. She straddled her bike again and clipped on her helmet while she waited.

"Hey, Tiger! Ready to be declawed?" Tetsuko knew that irritating voice.

"Enough with the bad puns already, Romero!" The tigress flipped up her visor to yell at him.

"But it's so much fun, kitten." The Latino sauntered up, rolling his monster Harley with him. He had dark skin and hair, slicked back and paired with piercing black eyes. Tall- but not as tall as the Japanese girl- and lean, a lot of girls found him attractive. Tetsuko just thought he was irritating. Romero flicked his kick stand with his booted foot and leaned against his bike casually.

"I'm not anyone's kitten, scumbag."

"Butt licker." He smirked.

"Gutter trash." She snapped.

"I'll make you eat those words when I win."

"I'll chew you up and spit you out like a rancid piece of meat."

"Ooo, we'd better get you spade, bitch." Tetsuko bristled at his jab. "How about we have a little bet? Since everyone's betting on me to win, naturally." Romero checked his reflection in his side view mirror.

"Yeah, right." Tetsuko folded her arms. "Name your game."

"If I win, you'll have to do me some favors." His voice dropped into a husky tone, implying something of a sexual connotation. The girl shivered in her jacket. _Its quaking in your boots, idiot. _She sighed internally. _It's more fun when Bunny corrects me. Forget him! Focus. _

"And if I win?" Her voice betrayed nothing of her nervousness.

"You'll not only win the purse," he got up and slinked over to her and put his hand on the Chaser's seat, "I'll throw in an extra thousand from my previous winnings, because I know how much you love money, little kitten." And then he pinched her butt. She spun around and slapped him in the face.

"Letch! I'm going to cream you." She hissed, shoving his hand away.

"Only if you lap up my cream like a good little kitten." He licked a swatch up his palm and fingers, staring at her hotly. Tetsuko blushed at the innuendo, grateful her mask covered most of it.

"You're disgusting!"

"Only if you want me to be." He smirked and slunk back to his ride. "Get ready to lose, Tiger."

"Get ready to be mauled."

"I thought bad puns weren't cool." Romero tsked the girl as he stuck his airhead into his helmet.

"They're cool when I make them." Then Micah was announcing the start of the matched race and both riders were moving into position. The track was straight for a half mile and then banked into a sharp right turn to get into the old sewage system (cleaned, thank god) where they both would wind until they popped up to the surface and sped along the highway and raced back to the canals to the finish line. The track wasn't hard, just dark and cramped. Whoever made it into the sewer first would have the advantage. Now there was a part of the track that could make or break a race: the minefield. It was a torn up section of the canals that was only a few hundred feet from the finish line, a death trap that could kill a bike and racer if taken wrong. It was the point where contenders usually slowed down so their wheels didn't hit a crack in the concrete and spin out. People could actually die if they didn't take the minefield seriously.

The start girl walked out onto the track, boobs bouncing in her jacket and heels. She stopped between to two motorcyclists and raised her handkerchief. Two engines came to life with the crowd, barely heard above the roaring voices. Tetsuko's eyes narrowed staring into the distance where the sewer started. And then the cloth dropped, fluttering to the ground. Tetsuko floored it.

Her Chaser shot forward with barely a complaint, perfect reaction time. Romero was right next to her, matching her speed. _Faster. _The girl throttled her machine, gaining a few inches, her blood racing with her bike. Romero was still too close for comfort. _Faster! _The stars streaked above the girl, her own green streaks fading into the night. She swerved towards Romero to get him off her tail and increased her speed. Somehow, the Latino stayed with her and just before the right turn into the sewers, he inched in front of her. At the turn, they both rotated at dangerous speeds and Tetsuko's right leg scraped the concrete, her bike nearly parallel with the ground. They shot off into the underground tunnels, Tetsuko on the heels of Romero. He laughed and the sound echoed all around the girl, unnerving her. _Focus, Tetsuko! You have to win this! Not only for your pride and the fact that you don't want to do anything for that asshole, but you have to win to prove to yourself that you can do something right! _The girl coached herself, racing into the darkness after a pair of taillights.

The sewers were a complicated tangle of tunnels and both racers had to slow down to navigate the darkness, Tetsuko harassed Romero every chance she got, tailing his back wheel, swerving into him to get the guy to scrape the wall and curse that she was going to pay for the damage to his bike. She laughed back at him, challenging him to beat her. They turn and wove and nearly crashed several times before they reached the surface, Tetsuko just a hair's breath behind Romero. They entered the highway with the other traffic and began a game of hide and seek between the cars. This was more Tetsuko's pace; she did this all the time with Bunny. The girl got in front of the boy and taunted him as she dodged cars. He flipped her off, which she saw in her rearview mirrors. She flipped him off too as they sped along the road. The exit came up to head back to the canals and Tetsuko took it at nearly ninety miles per hour. Her tires squealed around the turn she needed for the warehouse district, the wind tearing at her clothes, as she whooped with chapped lips. She bolted in between the closed storage warehouses, getting air on speed bumps and skidding though turns and pivots, surprised when Romero ended up side by side with her. Even though they couldn't see any expressions with their helmets facing each other, Tetsuko knew he was glaring at her like she was glaring at him.

The last turn was a piece of cake, now it was a straight shot to the finish line: one mile of who could gun it the fastest. Tetsuko pushed her Chaser faster as the speed marker climbed higher. One fifteen, one seventeen, one twenty. Romero was struggling for his small lead as the girl gained on him, putting all or nothing on her motorcycle's superior speed. _He may have more refined skills, but I don't back down easily! _Tetsuko whooped as she came neck and neck with her enemy. Then he was gone, behind her at a slower speed. _What the hell? _She'd completely forgotten about the minefield until it was right on top of her. Quickly acting, the girl got her butt off the seat of her bike and shifted her weight rearward right before she hit obstacles. She took the cracks and dips at a ninety degree angle so her front tire didn't glance off of anything and lightened it by letting off the break and rolling the throttle. _Keep your eyes on the goal, straight forward. Keep your body loose, old lady, that way you can straighten the bike faster. _Bunny's impromptu driving lessons popping into her head. The cracks tipped her bike this way and that, Tetsuko was terrified of crashing. She rolled over dips and breaks, slowing her speed to something more manageable but still speeding by every definition. The brunette sweated as her wheels navigated the cracks, praying that she wouldn't crash, that she would get out alive and not die in a fiery explosion-then she was out. The torture seemed to last an eternity, but in reality was second and by some miracle she'd made it though the minefield alive.

The girl hunkered down over her bike, creating less wind resistance as she hurtled towards the finish line, increasing her speed with every passing second. Her goal so close she could taste it. She shot over the line at a hundred and thirty two miles per hour. She yelled her victory with the crowd, skidding to a stop a hundred feet away from the end line and dismounting to jump up and down like a girl, even with her right leg bleeding onto the pavement.

"I won! I did it! WHOO HOO!" Romero crossed the finish line and chucked his helmet on the ground when he came to a stop. Strings of Spanish curses littered the air as he vented his wrath on the asphalt. He glared at the girl in the domino mask as Micah came down to congratulate her and hand over the purse as they were both swamped with fans and racers. Tetsuko inched her way out of the crowd five thousand dollars richer and went to collect her personal bet money.

"Cough it up, Romero! You owe me one grand!" Tetsuko called to the Latino man. He glared at her, hate flaring in his eyes.

"Like hell I will!"

"You lost the bet, so pay up!" She grabbed his jacket collar and hauled him up two inches to her face.

"Fine, fine! You bitch, put me down!" He grabbed her hands and pushed down. She dropped him on his ass and towered above the man until he handed the brunette her winnings. She felt really cool then. That night after the other races (which weren't quite as amazing) and the partying (she'd never been so high), Tetsuko left richer than when she drove in and higher than cloud nine. _I'll have to get some body work done on the Chaser, but other than that I'm still sitting pretty on money. _Tetsuko smiled, finally happy that she'd accomplished something worthwhile. _If only my friends and Bunny could've seen that. _Her phone beeped and she checked it once she'd pulled into her driveway in the Bronze Stage. It was from Micah.

"He sent me the video footage! Cool!" She called to thank him personally and went to sleep smiling.

Keith was absent from work the next day and Ivan was still gone. _Geez, everyone's taking a vacation lately! And now because Sky High and Origami Cyclone are both gone, I have to cover their shifts as well as their sections. I hope nobody else bails on the job or else Ben's going to have to put that hiring sign back up in the window. Why did they just suddenly disappear? I haven't even seen them at school. Where could they be anyway? Keith's SBO president, he can't just up and leave without telling anyone! His historian Nana Brandon even asked me yesterday after lunch where he was, so he hasn't told any of his fellow officers were he went. And that's strange of Keith because he tells everyone everything, twice. So what's going on with him? And Ivan's gone too. He probably wouldn't really tell anyone where he's going but he wanted that new manga I was going to loan him on and he wasn't at school the day I brought it. So where is he now? _Tetsuko gripped her head with both hands and ran them around her skull. _Arg! Thinking is not what I'm good at! I usually just leave it to Bunny. But I can't now, can I? _The weekend just got worse when, on Sunday, Antonio pulled one of those I'm-not-going-to-text-you-back stunts and Tetsuko was left hanging out at home by herself with a metaphorical dark cloud hovering over her head. She watched the race footage to make her feel better and counted her money for fun. Three times she counted her green. She even did that cliché thing where she rolled around in a small pile of bills just to see what it felt like. It felt good.

Tetsuko was up in a tree when Antonio _finally_ texted her on Monday afternoon. The sky was gray and looked about ready to dump its load of rain, but the girl didn't want to go inside yet. She'd skipped the girl's bathroom for lunch and had ended up outside for a change of scenery. She wasn't going back inside until Bunny had left the cafeteria. She swung her legs back and forth from her branch as she sifted through her backpack for the beeping phone.

Bison: Hey 'Suko. Before you go to work, do you wanna meet me somewhere? I thought we needed to hang out.

Tetsuko: Sure. Where do you want to meet?

Bison: How 'bout the old middle school building? Its near both our works.

Tetsuko: I'll meet you there after school, k?

Bison: Be seein ya

Tetsuko walked back to class, happy for once that she was going to do something other than work and school and eat fattening ice cream and then go work it off. The smile she wore inside actually felt real this time. She hummed during cooking class and daydreamed away English. Once the bell rang to let school out she was practically skipping down the hall (but she didn't, bad girl reputation and all). She wanted to rub it in Bunny's face, make it look like she was meeting a new boy or something, to make him jealous since the makeover hadn't really worked. When she got into the hall monitors commons room on the first floor, the girl was surprised to see Nathan, Karina and Pao-Lin clustered around Bunny.

"What's up, Tets?" Nathan asked, looking a little pale and sick and he rested his chin on his weaved fingers. In fact, Karina looked nervous as well. She was chewing her lip and her eyes kept shifting around the room like she was watching for something. Pao-Lin (who was usually bouncing off the walls) was just sitting in a chair with her knees up to her chest and her arms hugging her legs. She just stared straight ahead, not even acknowledging the brunette's presence.

"Nothin'. Just came to let you know that I might be a little late to work today. Will you tell Ben that for me?" She flipped her hair and checked her nails, loving how the green shined in the light.

"Why?" Bunny asked, his the dark circles under his eyes standing out. He looked like he didn't get any sleep at all for, like, the past week. Not that Tetusko cared. Maybe. The brunette sidled up to his seat, doing the classic Nathan's-breaking-my-personal-bubble lean and smirked in his face.

"I've just got to go _meet someone." _She pointed her words, trying to prickle him. It worked. Bunny glared at her hard, clenching his fists until his knuckles shown white. _ "_I should be to work soon after that though." She disconnected from Bunny, brushing off her shoulder like it was disgusting that she touched him. "See y'all later!" Tetsuko sang and she sauntered out of the room, pleased with her ticking off plan.

"What's wrong with her?" She heard Bunny snap. The girl shrugged, happy that she'd gotten under his skin. She whistled down the hall, not hearing the soft _tap _of her phone hitting the floor as it fell out of her bag. The girl ran to her bike and switched on the engine so she could turn around and head for the old middle school building where she and Antonio used to go to school. The building had caught on fire and the firefighters saved most of it, but then the school board decided that the building was outdated, so they built a new one. Unfortunately they forgot to take down the old school, so now it was the hangout for creepy parties and pranks pullers.

Tetsuko parked her bike in the weed infested faculty parking lot and walked inside. She didn't know where Antonio wanted to meet her, so she reached into her backpack to text him. She couldn't find it in any of the pockets. _Crap! Where did I lose it now? This is like what, the billionth time I'm misplaced it? Oh well. I'll just have to walk around until I find 'Tonio. _She roamed the halls, checking the abandoned classrooms and avoiding the burned out section of the building. The girl eventually made her way into the old gymnasium and found that the door was open.

"Antonio?" She called, peeking inside. The windows were all cracked and falling apart and the wood floor was missing sections, exposing the concrete underneath. She stepped inside, her instincts putting her on high alert. _Something's not right here. _She took a step inside and the door slammed shut behind her. Tetsuko flipped around and yanked on the handle, finding out it was locked. "Hey! What's going on?" She banged on the door, trying to get out but stopped when a voice behind her spoke from the gloom.

"Well, hello there."

T&B

Barnaby opened the email, ROUND TWO glaring at him from the screen. The preview showed a shot of Jake and Kriem laughing at something and just seeing their faces ignited a deep hatred in the boy. "We'd better sit down." He said, leading the group back inside the dark restaurant. Barnaby knocked his foot against something, and it flared up in pain. He hopped around carefully, cursing the old lady for stomping on it just before she left. Karina flipped on the light unlocked the break room with the key Mr. Jackson had given her, not even laughing at the boy like she usually would. The teens clustered around the blond boy, taking their seats and scooting closer once he'd sat down.

"Ready?" Nathan asked, visibly sweating.

"No." Pao-Lin answered. Barnaby clicked play and the audio turned on.

"Did you change your recipe?" Jack asked the woman holding up his bowl and chopsticks. They were sitting on a couch set up in the middle of a stadium. Sternbild High's rival school's stadium. A bigger version of Kriem's damn umbrella was opened and propped up behind the couch to shade the couple, the black spades shining in the light of the afternoon. The camera seemed to be on some sort of table or tripod because Kriem wasn't filming this time. She was dressed the same in the bowler hat and halter top, but he'd gotten weirder, exchanging the pleather jacket for a completely furred one and completely ditching his shirt.

"Yeah, can you tell? Do you like it, Mr. Jake?"

"Whatever you did keep doing it 'cuz this is great!" They laughed for a moment until there was a noise from somewhere on the field. Kriem set down her food and grabbed the camera, giving the audience a view down her shirt as she did. The woman pointed the camera at someone entering onto the field. It was Keith.

"Oh no! Keith's been missing all day! He didn't even show up for work, remember?" Nathan pouted as everyone guessed what had happened to the cheerful man.

"He was here instead," Barnaby concluded after pausing the video. "And if the other video is anything to go by, then he's in the hospital now."

"Do we have to watch it?" Pao-Lin whined, folding into herself again on her chair.

"Yes, but if you don't want to look, just cover your eyes." The boy patted her on the shoulder as the girl nodded and ducked her head into her knees. He pressed play again and the show continued.

"What's going on here? And again, what? Why did you call me here to this place?" Keith took the long walk to the thirty yard line on the side where Jake and Kriem were camped. The couple smirked from their end zone. "Why did you call me here-"

"I heard you the first time, twinkle toes." Jake drawled.

"We're putting on a little show, Mr. President, and Mr. Jake is the star! You're his enemy and you'll have to fight him if you want to leave this place." Kriem narrated for the competitor.

"So yeah, come at me bro." Jake stood up and clicked his chopsticks at Keith before tossing them away with his bowl.

"I do not understand. Why do I have to fight you? That's against the law and is considered assault. I will not do something like that to you. I have no reason." Keith rambled on as Jake moved closer.

"Look, chatterbox. This is a game to piss off all your friends. Specifically Kaburagi and Brooks and if you don't fight back, you'll end up like little Ivan: in the hospital, unconscious without any metaphorical balls."

"You've put Ivan in the hospital? How dare you, evil doer! I will bring you to justice for my friends!" Keith slipped into his Sky High inflection of speaking as he charged the man, the one to make the first move this time. His first punch was dodged by the pink and yellow haired man. And the second one as well, and then the third. He couldn't seem to land a blow to the criminal. Then Jake began fighting back and the blond was the one dodging, having experience in fighting that Barnaby didn't know he had. The way Sky High fought was by avoidance, he'd attack offensively, but the second he was on defense, he'd get close to his enemy and walk circles are them. This technique was supposed to frustrate his opponents, but Jake seemed to love it.

"You're light on your feet, twinkle toes! I like it!" Sky High struck unexpectedly, a low punch to Jake's side, and knocked the man to the ground.

"Yeah! " The room of teens cheered, all except Barnaby. _Something wasn't right with that attack. It didn't have a lot of force behind it, so why is Jake on the ground? _

"Oh no! Looks like Mr. Jake is down!" Kriem cried from the camera's spot.

"There! Now surrender at once! At once!" Keith stood above the prone man as he called to cease the fight.

"I actually almost felt that last one, champ." Jake's intense eyes snapped open as he leapt into action. He lunged at Keith and punched him in the gut, sending the teen flying. The blond landed hard on the ground, the air knocked out of him as Jake pounced pummeled him into submission. "Check mate, fly boy." The psycho crooned over the unconscious man.

"Mr. Jake has defeated the air head with all the style and grace he possesses! You are magnificent and glorious as usual, my love!"

"Thank you, my sweet!" Jake twirled towards the camera and took a bow. That was much more entertaining than the last fight, I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time." The video winked out as the lens zoomed into the man's menacing grin.

"Oh, Keith." Karina sighed, her eyes tearing up.

"This is bad." Pao-Lin said, finally looking up from her knees.

"That's an understatement." Barnaby huffed.

"What do we do? One of us could be next if we don't do anything!" Nathan squirmed in his seat, clasping his hands to his chest.

"So we don't answer to any number we don't know on our phones, we don't go anywhere alone and we all always stick in groups. Just like on a field trip in kindergarten." Barnaby laid out the safety plan quickly, trying to reassure the others as well as himself. On the outside, he looked relatively calm and collected, but on the inside he was a four year old again, watching the man who murdered his parents take pleasure in harming the people he'd come to know as friends.

"Okay, I like the plan. That's a good plan." Pao-Lin looked a little more confident and the others nodded with her.

"Okay then, let's get out of here. It's late and I don't think Mr. Jackson would like us staying here all night." Barnaby stored away his infernal technological device and the girls locked the restaurant behind them.

That night when Barnaby figured that he wasn't going to get any sleep when he was still up at three am, and slunk out of bed. He poured himself his ritual insomnia glass of milk and slumped tiredly into his lone chair. The blond glanced at the family portrait framed on his table, sadness creeping into his eyes as well as hate. _I'm so close to him, mom and dad, but your killer keeps slipping through my fingers. He's right in front of me and I can't get to him because innocent lives are in danger. _This impasse was taking its toll on the boy, that and the fact that his personal sunshine was giving him a wide berth. Barnaby sighed and reached for his backpack. He'd dropped it next to the chair when he got home and left it on the floor while he showered and tried to fall asleep. He rummaged around for his cell phone and flipped it open once he'd found it. His background wasn't that boring generic one, nor was it still Tetsuko's stupid duck face. It happened to be of that picture she'd taken when they'd gone out for hotdogs and then visited the Fortress Tower. Barnaby had sent it to his phone from hers when she wasn't paying attention.

_We look happy. _Barnaby gazed at the pixilated image, going over details he'd gone over a thousand times. The bright lights of the mall, the sparkle on the fountain's water, Tetsuko's arm slung around his shoulders, her huge grin and Barnaby's own surprised one. It was the only picture he'd ever really wanted to keep just because. Besides his family's picture, of course. _This was when we were just getting used to each other. Why do we looker happier here than when we were actually dating? What happened? Was it really my fault? No. She didn't trust me. She didn't trust me enough to tell me what was going on, where she was going or even that she had a kid! _The boy took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, the late night getting to him. He'd gone over their fight, the days leading up to it and just couldn't figure out where everything had gone downhill. Again and again he'd tried to figure it out, but the blond couldn't pinpoint the event that had changed everything. _I guess there wasn't just one specific thing that did it. But I do feel bad that I said those horrible things to her. Even she didn't deserve it. _He'd also debated whether or not to call or text her several times, but he wasn't going to make the first move. She'd wronged him and she was going to have to contact him. That was that. Barnaby stopped puzzling over everything involving Tetsuko Kaburagi and went to review the footage from both of Jake's fights.

_It seems that he's studied each person. I can tell a difference between the ways he attacks in both videos, _the boy mused after staring at the glowing computer screen for an hour. _Jake's aggressive with Ivan because Ivan's completely defensive and with Keith, he strung him along for a long time. As if he was waiting for the man to attack him and once he did, Jake creamed Keith. He's changing his fighting style with each match. I bet whoever's in the next video will run into the same problem. Ug, I hate thinking like that. I don't want to see anymore videos, but until I figure out what to do, that's the way it's got to be. _Barnaby glanced down at his computer clock. _Five 'o clock already? I've been up all night. Again. _

Barnaby got dressed in some exercise clothes and drove over to the gym to vent for a few hours. The blond paid great attention to his leg exercises, determined to tone the hell out of his muscles. He rounded out his leg work out with some arm and shoulder routines and then ran a couple miles. Feeling rejuvenated despite the lack of sleep, Barnaby grabbed a cup of coffee to keep him awake on his way home to shower. He got a call from Pao-Lin as he was drying off and picked up his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, uh, Barnaby, can I get a ride to work with you? I asked Fire Emblem but he's picking up Blue Rose at one of her gigs and it's out of the way from my place."

"Sure, I can pick you up. I'm glad you're all sticking together."

"Yeah, I can't go anywhere now without thinking that someone's going to jump me and drag me off to beat the stuffing out of me." They talked a few minutes more before hanging up and Barnaby buckled down for a few hours to get some homework done. Finishing earlier than he thought he would, the blond played mindless puzzle games on his phone to pass the time when he found out he wasn't tired enough to take a nap. He beat his high score twice and slipped into his usual street clothes to pick up Pao-Lin. His pulled up to her boarding house twenty minutes later and she came running out in her yellow jumpsuit.

"Thanks, Barnaby!" He noticed several pairs of girl eyes glancing at him from windows as the blonde girl ran up to his bike. Apparently he had a following here too. The girl leapt onto the bike, setting into the seat and wrapping her arms around his waist. Barnaby felt himself yearning for a pair of stronger, tan arms instead of the little Chinese girl's. _Don't think like that. It's never going to happen. _He drove to work trailing a squealing girl who yelped at every turn and stop. They were the first ones to show up, besides Mr. Jackson who opened up the back doors so he didn't have to let everyone in himself. Apparently he had a ton of paperwork to do.

Barnaby and Pao-Lin changed quickly and were joined by Nathan and Karina shortly after and then Tetsuko last of all. When she walked out in her Wild Tigress outfit, Barnaby had barely enough time to hide his blush. It was getting worse. Just seeing her in such a revealing outfit just turned him on. Maybe the draw was that the girl wasn't his anymore. What ticked him off again was that see seemed in such a good mood, swaying her hips seductively as she basically bounced out onto the floor. If he was in such a shitty mood, why did she have to be so fucking happy? _Oh no, her speech has corrupted my mind! I never used to swear this much! Even in my damn head! Shit! There I go again! _Barnaby scowled internally but he was still smiling as he took an order. At one point he saw Tigress lost in thought at the soda fountain, but then she growled and ran her hands through her hair like she was frustrated about something. _Good, now she matches the rest of us. _Wild Tigress caught him looking at her and turned away with a huff. After the restaurant closed for the night, Dragon Kid came running up to the teens that were left behind. Ivan and Keith were in the hospital and Tetsuko had fled the scene once again.

"Hey guys!" She was actually smiling for real this time. The incidents with Jake had really depressed the girl and despite the overall fear in the air, it was nice to see her at least a little happy. "One of my friends just sent this really cool video to me!" The three teens tensed up at the word "video."

"What is it?" Barnaby asked.

"It's not like _those _videos!" The Chinese girl stopped in front of them and started tapping her touch screen. "It went viral the second it hit the internet but I haven't looked at my phone all day. Check it out!" She enlarged the video screen and held it out to the others. It showed two motorcyclists talking across their bikes, the camera on the far side of a woman and a considerable distance away. The video was shot at night, but there were flashing lights and the music drowned out whatever the man and the woman were talking about as people walked in and out of the shot.

"Look at her boobs!" Karina slipped into her fetish mode and pointed at the woman. She was wearing all black and only the dark skin on her cleavage and neck were showing. She did have some impressive breasts and trapped in that corset top they bulged out, ready to pop. The man walked over to the woman, and said something close to her face and he pinched her butt. Barnaby couldn't see her face, but by the force of her slap, the boy guessed she wasn't very happy. They watched the man lick his palm and then they both were moving to the start line. The blond saw that the woman's bike was the green Chaser and his stomach got butterflies. _No, it couldn't be. _

"Is this a drag race?" Nathan asked, fawning over the woman's dark skinned opponent.

"Sort of," Pao-Lin answered. "It's not short like a drag race, but they race on a track that would be perfect for it. Just watch! Whoever filmed this hacked into traffic cams and other monitoring equipment because they got the whole race!" Both helmets on and visors down, the racers waited for the signal to start and then shot off faster than bullets. The leading position went to the woman but right before they shot off in to the sewers the man inched in front. Barnaby noted that their turn was so sharp that the woman's right leg was torn up from the asphalt. The view switched from a side view to a top view, cameras in the ceiling of the sewage tunnels. The man was still in front, but the Chaser's rider was harassing him to walls and they could faintly hear her laughing.

"Damn, she's reckless. If he crashes in there she's going down too." Nathan squirmed, loving the competition.

"Yeah, but she seems to know what she's doing." Karina stated. "But this view sucks. You can't even see her boobs."

"Shut up about the boobs already!" Pao-Lin barked. "Look, they're almost out of the tunnels. This is where it goes to traffic cameras." She was right, as the two contenders raced onto the speedway the camera angle became a bird's eye view, watching the green streaks of the Chaser as it sped along. They woman dodged cars and got in front with skill that even Barnaby had to admire. The man seemed to be shouting obscenities at her by the way he waved his hands around as he struggled to catch up. He flipped her off and she flipped him off and then the woman took an exit that led them both back to the warehouse district. As they wove between storage complexes, the man gained and got in front again, holding his position as they jumped back into was the blond guessed was the canal systems in Bronze. The race was a straight shot from here but all of a sudden the man shot behind the woman, decelerating rapidly. _What is he doing? He just gave her the race! _Then the boy figured it out when panic seeped into the woman's body language. She shifted her weight backwards in the stance for rough roads and Barnaby spotted splinters and gaps in the concrete. _She's going too fast. She'll crash. _She didn't. The woman made it through the rough patch and sped over the finish line at an unprecedented speed. She skidded to a stop and leapt off her bike despite her leg injury and proceeded to destroy her bad girl image by jumping around like a dork. Then the feed cut out.

"That was so cool! I especially loved watching the man from behind. His behind." Nathan giggled as Pao-Lin commented on the internet.

"I loved her boobs!" Karina folded her arms over her own chest.

"You should," Barnaby started.

"Why?"

"You try to grab them every day." Barnaby was met with blank stares. "That was the old lady, couldn't you tell? The bike is a green Chaser, she's got tan skin and huge boobs-"

"So you noticed the boobs," Karina fixed him with a look.

"Of course I noticed the boobs, they were right there!"Barnaby threw his hands into the air, "Anyway, the reckless driving, the taunting, her bike and body type, it was definitely Kaburagi."

"I think you're right. It'd be just like here to do something like this." Pao-Lin still hadn't looked up from her screen. "And if it was her, she was so cool!"

"Don't let her hear that, she'll let it go to her head." The blond told the other blonde.

"I can't tell her, she'd gone already, ga-doy."

"Yeah, she's been avoiding you since she dumped you." Karina pouted again. "I can't even enjoy looking at her chest since she's never around."

"She did not dump me, we both ended the relationship. There's a difference .We both dumped each other." At least that's how the blond saw it. Neither one had actually dissolved the relationship, they both decided to end it.

"Whatever, it's still your fault."

"How can I be my fault? You don't even know what went down!"

"It's always the boy's fault."

"Is not!"

"Is too!" The conversation digressed from that and everyone left in pairs.

On Sunday afternoon, Barnaby was attempting to take a nap to make up for the past sleepless nights. Saturday did not produce a video and that irregularity kept him up all until the morning hours. Barnaby was a creature of order; he loved schedules for their steadiness. Jake was not ordered apparently, he was chaos incarnate and it unhinged the boy with the way he operated. In the middle of his pacing and researching, the red computer pinged. The schedule was back on but Barnaby didn't feel any better. In fact, he felt ready to lose what little of his lunch he'd eaten. The blond took out his phone to notify the "girls," (and he used that term loosely) to meet him at a park that was convenient for all of them.

The day was contrastingly sunny for Barnaby's gloomy mood. It hadn't snowed yet but winter had permanently set in at this point. The blond boy walked through the park until he came to a statue of Lady Justice near the tree where the four of them were meeting. The night at the Fortress Tower popped into his head. Kaburagi had taken a picture of a much bigger version of the stone art that night. That night they had acted like real partners, friends even. _I miss you so much old lady, but I'm not telling you that. _Barnaby was yanked out of his thoughts when a girl's voice called his name. Karina walked up to him in her baby blue coat and striped scarf, her cheeks red in the crisp air.

"You're the first one here." Barnaby fiddled with his backpack strap, trying to socialize with Kaburagi's friend without being pushy or awkward.

"I figured as much. I live the closest." The blonde girl pouted, clearly nervous about the meeting. They stared at the statue in silence, standing side by side. Barnaby shivered in his red jacket, his already low body temperature adding to his discomfort in the chill. Pao-Lin showed up next in a bright yellow coat despite her somber mood and joined the other two blondes in their staring game. Nathan came over last a few minutes later, his fuchsia trench coat adding to the collage of color already worn by the other teens. They moved over to a tree and sat on the ground as the boy retrieved the laptop, cursing the citywide wifi connection. The video loaded up, labeled ROUND THREE and Pao-Lin went into her safety pose, leaning against the tree trunk while she hid her face. Nathan sat on the ground and clutched the hand the blond didn't need to type and Karina leaned on the pinkette's shoulder next to him. When the movie popped up, the setting was different than the others: a back alley somewhere in the city. At first there was no one in the shot, just the dirty alleyway and the sound of cars nearby. Then a furry clad arm got in the view of the camera.

"Where is the bull-man? He's late." Jake Martinez complained, waving his gaudy zebra striped jacket in Kriem's face.

"I don't know, Mr. Jake but I'm sure he'll be here soon." A pause, "There he is!" She whispered excitedly. A huge figure walked into the shot from the other end of the alley, reavealing a man that they all knew.

"Not sweekcheeks!" Nathan cringed and turned his head away, knocking Karina's head with his scalp.

"Ow! Watch it, drag queen!"

"What are you doing here, Martinez?" The Spaniard called, folding his arms across his barrel-like, hairy chest. He wore the outfit that Barnaby had met him in: leather jacket, V-neck shirt, jeans and boots. _He knows how to fight, the old lady told me that they street fought together. He'll stand a good chance at beating Jake. _

"Just messing up your old turf a bit. I thought you'd love a good fight, Lopez, since you've become so soft lately." The criminal taunted lightly, stepping forward into the camera's full view.

"I can still kick your ass any day, Martinez."

"Even without your partner in crime? You know how much she loves this sort of thing."

"'Suko's a great wingman but I don't need her to take of you." The bull-man took a fighting stance.

"You'll eat those words." Jake took a stance as well.

"Mr. Jake's ready to battle now!" Kriem became a commentator again. "How long will the heifer last?" Antonio lunged first, punching straight. "Here he comes!"

Jake danced away and swung his right arm around in his own punch. Lopez caught it with his shoulder, blocking the attack, but grunted as Jake's left fist jabbed him in the side. They broke apart and the bull-man lunged again and was dodged. The fight kept going like that: Lopez would attack and Martinez would dodge and counter, slowly chipping away at the Spaniard's endurance and defense.

"Tired yet, heifer?" Kriem mocked while following the fight with her camera. Antonio was breathing hard, but by no means out of the fight. He'd been going for ten minutes nonstop and was only now showing any sort of fatigue.

"Not on your life, skank." He wiped some blood off his lips, a consequence of not defending his face. "I'm just getting warmed up."

"No, you're getting slow roasted, beef. You haven't even landed a hit yet on Mr. Jake. Isn't he magnificent?"

"You're disgusting."

"No, you are, cow." Kriem snapped.

"Your mother's the cow." Antonio smirked and the camera shook where Kriem's hand was trembling.

"Your mother!" She shouted back.

"Kids, play nice." Jake took Antonio's distraction as an opportunity to sock him in the face which knocked the man into the wall. "And pay attention, I don't like being ignored. I'm not only teaching you a lesson, out viewers are getting educated as well." Jake pounced and grabbed the huge teenager by the jacket and threw him into the opposite wall. Antonio's head cracked against the bricks at just the wrong angle and he slumped to the ground completely knocked out. Jake studied the brunette with distaste and turned towards the camera.

"Well that was a disappointing end." He picked his nose in front of everyone.

"You're just too good for all your opponents, Mr. Jake. He wasn't worthy of you." Kriem's hand came up to brush against her boyfriend's arm as she walked towards him. The camera tilted down to Lopez, displaying all his bruises and split skin. Well, what was exposed anyway.

"Well, hopefully the next one's more entertaining." Jake grabbed the camera and turned it to his face. "Be seeing you next time."

"Oh, my sweet Antonio!" Nathan was actually crying by the end of the video and Karina was trying to comfort him. Barnaby once again hid his terror, trying to be the voice of reason in all this chaos.

"So he's not just going after other students we know. He's going after people we know and associate with, no matter what age," he concluded, shutting the laptop with a _click. _

"And that's a good thing?" Karina glared at him, upset that he didn't care about the emotional man clinging to his arm.

"No. it just defines his game more. It also makes it harder to pinpoint where and against whom Jake's next ambush will be against. I am sorry that Lopez and President Goodman _and _Ivan have gotten hurt in this whole sick game, but until we find a way out of this, we have to protect our acquaintances as best we can."

"So what do we do?" Nathan asked, wiping his shadowed eyes.

"I don't know." They left in a group after that and went back to their homes to worry.

"Seriously, we need to tell someone! Three people we know are now hospitalized!" Karina reiterated, chewing her lips. She as well as Pao-Lin and Nathan had all gathered at Barnaby's workspace in the hall monitor's commons room Monday afternoon.

"Who can we tell? It's hopeless." Pao-Lin leaned back in her seat, drawing her knees up close to hug them. Barnaby tapped his pen on the table, flipping through ideas and rejected all of them. He couldn't think of a way out of this.

"It's not hopeless; we just haven't come up with the right idea yet." Nathan patted the blonde girl on the shoulder from his seat on top of a desk. He'd been to see the guys in the hospital. They hadn't looked good. Ivan was bandaged all over his torso and head, President Goodman had plasters on his face and arms and legs and Antonio had to wear a brace after injuring his neck when he hit the wall. Besides them all being drugged up and miserable in their green scrubs, all the boys expressed concern for the others that hadn't been attacked yet. Antonio also asked Nathan to look for his phone; he'd lost it at some point and suspected the black man had stolen it for his own devices.

"But what can we do? Our hands are tied. We can't tell the police because Ouroboros will attack whoever is in the videos, which now includes Antonio as well as Keith and Ivan. If we do something about it ourselves and break the game rules, they could come after us. So what are we supposed to do?" Barnaby asked, still wracking his brains for a solution. Just then the door opened and Tetsuko waltzed in. Barnaby eyed the girl carefully; her absence from their activities hadn't gone unnoticed. _She looks prettier today, more put together than normal. _Barnaby noted her meticulously pressed school uniform, the way that her skirt was the correct length and her blouse buttoned up and missing the obnoxious tie. Her jacket clung in all the right places and her shoes clicked sharply on the tile of the floor. _How come I notice her more now that we're not together? She's been taking more care of her appearance lately, is she trying to make me jealous? _

""What's up, Tets?" Nathan asked, since no one else would.

"Nothin'. Just came to let you know that I might be a little late to work today. Will you tell Ben that for me?" She flipped her hair and checked her nails; the polish was the perfect color for her, a deep green just like the skirt of the school uniform. Barnaby had taken note of the manicure, but hadn't complimented her. They were fighting after all. Right? Right. And one does not compliment one whom one is fighting with.

"Why?" Bunny asked, wanting her to leave before his tongue made a fool of him and said something nice about her, or apologized. That would be disastrous for his image. The brunette sidled up to his seat, leaning heavily on his shoulder as she smirked at him. He loved that look on her.

"I've just got to go _meet someone." _Her words jabbed his conscience. That was what he'd said to her when he went to meet Kriem. She was trying to get him to feel bad about their whole situation. It worked. Barnaby glared at her hard, clenching his fists until his knuckles shown white, keeping in some choice words. _ "_I should be to work soon after that though." She got off the boy, brushing off her shoulder like it was disgusting that she touched him. "See y'all later!" Tetsuko sang and she sauntered out of the room, hips swaying tantalizingly in time with her footsteps.

"What's wrong with her?" Barnaby snapped once she was out of ear shot. "How can she act like that, like she doesn't have a care when her friends are lying in hospital beds?"

"She's just one person who doesn't dwell on the negative." Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "But I totally saw her trying to get you to crack." He leaned towards the blond, giving him a fixed stare. "Was she referring to Kriem when she said she was meeting someone? The black haired woman did mention that you'd hung out a bit."

"Yes, Kaburagi was making it seem like I was the one who wronged her, let's just leave it at that. So what are we going to do?" They talked for another forty five minutes and came up blank. They had no clue what to do and no way out of this dire situation. They all got up to leave, the call of their jobs making them move. When Nathan opened the door he squealed.

"Is this Tets' phone?" He snatched the device off the floor and disabled the password in about ten seconds. "It is! Let's see who she was texting!"

"Why does it matter?" Karina's depressed voice asked.

"Because we can see who she was going to meet!" Nathan scrolled though the messages as the three teens clustered around him. "Huh?"

"What is it?" Barnaby asked, leaning over the boy-girl's shoulder to get a better look.

"She's meeting Antonio. That's nothing special to rub in." Nathan's shoulders slumped, disappointed.

"Wait, she's meeting Bison?" Pao-Lin perked up, straining for a glance. "But-"

"He's in the hospital and he told Nathan that his phone was missing," Karina pointed out.

"So how could she be meeting him at the old middle school building?" Nathan asked. "Wouldn't she go to the hospital?" Barnaby put all the pieces together at lightning speed.

"Unless she didn't know he was in the hospital. Did any of you tell her what's going on with the videos?"

"No." Karina answered.

"Not me." Pao-Lin glanced around nervously.

"I thought you would since…oh that's right. You're not dating anymore." Nathan amended.

"If no one told her then…" Karina started to guess at what Barnaby already knew.

"She's walking right into a trap!" Nathan finished for her.

"We've got to stop her!" Barnaby shouted and the teens dashed out the door just as the laptop pinged. They turned towards Barnaby's backpack in dread. The blond took out the computer, hoping against hope that the old lady wasn't in the new message. They walked back inside and sat down as Barnaby logged in. The room darkened with the coming storm, casting eerie shadows all over the walls.

"Please, please, please, please…" Karina chanted clenching her hands tightly together. Barnaby opened his email and saw a new message: ROUND FOUR. He clicked it opened and his heart dropped to the floor as he saw the bloody face of a girl as the preview to the video.

"God, it's the old lady."

A/N: And a special thanks to Brianne McDonald for her blog thought on "10 Things Every Girl Does After a Break-Up"! Thanks for the check list! (Since I've never been in a break-up before…I don't know whether to sob or count my blessings…) And yes, I had to Google that too along with babysitting tips! :3 Kitty face! And P.S. I've never been to a drag race so if there's something _glaringly_ wrong I would love to know so I can fix it! Remember to review and comment or else I'll have Tetsuko make up some more bad poetry!


	9. Right Place, Right Time

A/N: ZareEraz here! The writer who can't sleep in past noon! Whoo hoo! The next update is here, fellow readers! Remember to please excuse spelling mistakes and that I don't legally own Tiger & Bunny (But some day I will when I take over the world). Enjoy!

Chapter Nine: Right Place, Right Time

"Well, hello there. Look, it's the oaf who trashes her own school!" The menacing voice crawled up the girl's spine, igniting her anger. _I know that voice. It's that bastard! _

"And now for the fourth match: Mr. Jake verses the scary Tiger!" Kriem announced from under her umbrella. She pushed her asymmetrical glasses up her nose and smiled mischievously.

"Welcome to my show, Kaburagi! I do hope you enjoy yourself." Jake Martinez stepped into the dim light of the gym, followed by Kriem who was holding a portable camera and had a microphone clipped to her ear. She was toting around three of her creepy little, multi-colored bears and tossed them into the air happily. "Now, why don't you give our audience a big smile, girly? I'm sure they'd love to see your teeth before I knock them out."

"What are you doing, Martinez?" She took off her backpack and dropped it on the floor. The jacket went next and the girl put her fists up, ready for a fight, even in a skirt.

"Giving you your just desserts for making trouble for my gang. I don't appreciate it!" Jake smiled viciously and charged the girl, his eyes gleaming in excitement. Jake took off his own jacket, revealing pale skin covered in tattoos and unzipped red pants. "Come at me bro!" The two Ouroboros marks on his left shoulder and neck stood out above all the rest, a testament to Bunny's research. _I'll take him down for you, as an apology, I guess. Not that I need to apologize for anything. _

"As you wish!" Tetsuko roared as she ran at the man, raring for a good fight. The first punch smacked her in the jaw, the second splitting her cheek open, the third in her gut and Tetsuko knew she was in deep shit. She backed up, avoiding another strike and wiped some blood off her face. The girl ran at him again, he stepped out of her range, grabbing her skirt and ripping the fabric. She pivoted, trying to gain some speed. He dodged her again and when she came back around again, he flipped over her, whooping in delight. She tried to punch him again and missed when he slid down to the ground.

"Not fast enough," he taunted, lying out of the floor when the girl overshot him again. He tripped the girl on her next past and flipped what was left of her skirt, getting a view of her lacy panties. "Nice ass, dolt."

"Mr. Jake! Don't compliment her!" Kriem jealously yelled at him.

"Pervert!" The brunette yelled as she hit the ground and rolled to a stop. Grunting in pain, Tetsuko got up again, cursing her floor burn. She'd cut open her knees on the wood and her hands weren't any better. Jake was dancing and humming, waiting for her to get up.

"What a wuss. You won't even let me get close so we can actually fight." Tetsuko stood and rolled out her sore shoulder, the one Lunatic shot. _Attacking him first isn't working, so it's time to try getting him to come to me. _

"You're one to talk. You're the one who's jumping around so you don't have to face me head on!"

"That's it!" Tetsuko charged; her rage escalating as the fight dragged on. Jake waited for her and once she was in close, shoved his hand into her chest and threw her backwards with her own force, hooking his foot around her heel so her feet couldn't catch her. She slammed into the wall, slumping down when her right leg gave out. _Get up. Now! _She made her legs work, one foot and then the other. She pushed off the wall and stood up to face Jake again, bleeding and cut all over. Nothing new there.

"I love how you keep getting up. You're much more fun than the others!" Jake chuckled as he danced around again.

"What others?" Tetsuko wiped some blood off her face as she prepared to get back into the fight.

"Your friends: Ivan, Keith and Antonio. You look like you'll last longer than they did."

"What did you do to them?" Tetsuko's anger rekindled, strength flowing through her limbs once again.

"The same thing I'm doing to you. They all had their chance to fight me and they lost. They're in the hospital in case you didn't know that." Jake smiled cruelly, probably loving the way Tetsuko was getting worked up. _Is that where they've all been going? Getting the shit kicked out of them? Why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't I know? _The brunette roared as she rushed the man who was hurting her friends. Jake knocked her to the floor with an elbow jab to her spine once he ducked her punch. The girl collapsed on the wood floor and struggled to stand. _Get up! You have to get up and stop him so that bastard doesn't hurt anyone else! _Her arms were under her torso, now her legs were supporting her body and soon she was standing upright. Breathing heavily, spine aching, Tetsuko took her stance again.

"A real hero never gives up. I can't let this punk stop me." The girl coached herself, reminding her why she was fighting. She barreled towards the criminal, but was halted when he jump-spun and kicked the girl in her right thigh. The leg crumbled under the pressure and she slapped her hands on the ground to catch herself.

"You don't know when to quit, do you? Come on! Just give up already! I've got a date with your little boyfriend that I have to plan for so I don't have all day to play with you." He didn't look like he wanted her to give up. The asshole looked like he was enjoying himself. He charged and backhand/bitch slapped her back to her old friend the wall. The brunette gasped as her abused back whined at her. "Well, aren't you just a glutton for punishment?" Jake put his hands on his hips, clearly amused, his blue lips pulling into a grin.

"I'm not usually, but this time I deserve it." She coughed, clearing her lungs of blood.

"And why is that?" He asked in a mocking tone.

"Because I've been a bitch lately." She started running towards the criminal, the world swaying as she lost blood from her wounds. She pulled back her arm to punch the smirking bastard in the face when she slipped. The girl tripped over her own feet, her damn right leg buckling under her weight and somersaulted in midair. The bullet wound she's sustained had weakened her muscles and her lack of coordination and the abused it suffered in the fight didn't help either. She tucked her head into her body, trying to avoid a bad collision with the floor when something else happened. Her heel connected with something hard and a grunt of pain let her know it was her opponent. Tetsuko crashed to the ground and stared up at Jake, her eyes on the hands clutching his head. _I finally hit him! I did it! _Her joy didn't last long.

"Ow! You slippery punk! Now you're really in for it!" He kicked her in the face, her neck snapping back. "Nobody kicks me!" His voice turned from playful to vicious. Another kick to the face, and another. The girl's nose was bleeding, her brains rattled around in her skull. She couldn't move out of the way fast enough. Jake had gone psycho! "Nobody!"

Martinez grabbed her by the throat. Tetsuko scrabbled for his arm to get any air. She was tossed like a doll into the gym's wall, her spine cracking against the concrete as her limbs flew out limply. Nothing was broken, yet, but it felt like her brain and her legs weren't connected anymore. She slumped to the ground gasping for the breath that had been knocked out of her lungs. Jake pulled on her and pinned her body up with his forearm to her neck.

"I really don't like getting kicked in the head. Hear me!" He shouted in her dazed face. "You're so dead, Tetsuko! Nobody kicks me like that and lives!" His voice got louder and louder, but to the girl everything was getting faint. Jake snarled at her and gave her the perfect opening to wedge her foot in between their bodies and kick him in the gut. Martinez stumbled back clutching his stomach as Tetsuko tried to get her feet back. It did her no good. The man socked her bruised jaw for a second time and gave her a series of quick jabs to her torso. She cried out, her insides screaming in pain. Next he grabbed her torn shirt collar and swung her around to slam the brunette into the wall again, popping all of the buttons that held her clothes together. She gasped at the impact, blood flying from her mouth. Jake swept the girl's feet out from under her with a kick and grabbed her skull as she fell to the floor, having lost all control of her body. He followed her down and banged the girl's head against the ground. His fingers twisted in her hair and lifted Tetsuko's head up to beat it down repeatedly. Again and again and again. Tetsuko screamed until she lost her voice, blackness creeping into her vision.

Everywhere hurt, twinges of agony crawled up her body. She should just stop fighting and pass out. _No. _Her blood began to pool on the floor. _No. I will not give up. _Jake had stopped, but her head still felt like it was being pounded into the wood below her. As he spit on her and stood up to walk away, she forced her pain riddled body to move. Tetsuko stuck her leg out. Jake tripped but didn't fall like she wanted him too, the rage in his eyes burned brighter as he pivoted toward the defenseless girl. She chuckled anyway, coughing up blood in the process. The outside world didn't matter anymore, inside hurt enough to blur everything beyond her limp form. Jake roared, kicking her in the stomach, then picked up her listless body and threw her across the gymnasium until she skidded to a stop lifelessly, her failing eyes catching bright streaks of red littering the floor. _Is all that blood mine? _Tetsuko asked herself as her eyes slid shut._ I'm going to have to tell Bunny I'm sorry. I couldn't defeat him no matter how hard I tried. Sorry, Bunny. _She shut up, her pain rendering her unconscious at last.

She felt herself moving. Slowly and painfully Tetsuko cracked her eyes open and saw her arm swing in front of her face to pull her numb lower half in a struggling commando crawl. She cried out as her movement stretched her torso, she probably had some broken or fractured ribs. Another couple of inches forward, another gut-deep moan and the girl was seriously doubting ever moving again. She stopped, sinking boneless to the ground, her eyes fluttering shut. She laid there for a few minutes. Or was it hours? _It doesn't matter, pain shouldn't hurt this much. _The girl was joined by voices she could barely hear; she didn't even have the energy anymore to open her eyes. The voices were saying something about here, or she's here, and god and a lot of blood. That was all fine. She had no problem with talk, it's the moving she loathed. _Damn it! Don't touch me! _Tetsuko opened her mouth to scream as hands sent pain ricocheting through her body, but all that came out was a choked gurgle. The darkness was back, pulling at her. She wanted to go back to nothingness but she had to tell someone something first. _What was it? _She was being carried now. Arms under her knees, on her back. Strong arms. She let her head fall into a soft wall, not like those hard ones she was thrown against a while ago. _A chest, _her head supplied. And then she was moving again. Tetsuko whined, the pitiful sound escaping her throat as her body was jostled.

"You're going to be okay. We'll get you help. Don't you dare leave, old lady." _What a nice sound. This voice is worried about me, it's nice. _

"I don't think she can hear you, Handsome." That voice didn't sound right; it should be deeper, shouldn't it? _Of course I can hear you. _The girl heard a car engine and more voices joined the others. Very loudly too.

"God, she's a mess!" That was a young voice.

"Just drive!" That was the nice voice again.

"Tets, can you hear me?" That one was the not-voice speaking.

"She's not responding to anything! I tried waking her up already." Nice one.

"What can we do?" A cold voice asked.

"Help me stop the bleeding!" Tetsuko felt hands and things on her body, pressing in all the places that hurt. _Damn it, stop that! It hurts! _She wanted to yell at them, but the girl couldn't find her own voice. Instead, she kicked something hard but soft. _How does that make sense? Nothing makes sense anymore. _

"Watch it! She's alive!" The young voice piped up again.

"That's a good thing." The nice voice didn't sound as sympathetic as Tetsuko wanted it to be.

"She kicked mud on my seat!"

"Shut it, drag queen. She's getting blood on you seats already." Tetsuko was tired and she wanted the voices to _shut up. But first I have to tell that thing to someone. What was it again? _Her hand flew out and latched onto something. She gripped the fabric in her hand hard and with what little strength she had, opened her eyes a fraction. Green eyes and a golden halo stared down at her. _Is that an angel? Is this heaven? Funny, it feels like hell. What did I need to say again? _It was so hard to concentrate. It was better just to take a nap. _No. I have to say it. _She opened her mouth and the word she needed tumbled out with more blood.

"I'm sorry." It was barely audible. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…" The words wouldn't get louder but she wouldn't stop, not until she passed out again, which she did and the voices called for her to come back.

It was nice here. Nice and quiet. For the first time in what felt like forever, Tetsuko didn't feel any rage, or hate, or guilt whatsoever. She felt like she was floating. She half opened her eyes, finding that everything was pleasantly out of focus and not sharp and edgy like usual. Everything was all clouds, white and fluffy, like that time when she and Tomoe stared up at the sky for hours looking for pictures. Tetsuko tried to make a bunny, with a fluffy tail and long ears, but she couldn't get the irritated expression to look right, it kept turning cute. And the glasses were always crooked no matter what she did.

"Bunny-chan!" She whispered it, her voice barely even that. She giggled, it was too funny _not_ to for some reason. There were voices here too but they were all different from the other ones. No nice ones. They all sounded worried. Something was wrong. There was a thing on Tetsuko's mouth, blowing breezes into her nose. She was moving on her back, but not moving at the same time. It was hard to describe and the girl didn't want to think anymore. The voices were talking now.

"We have deep lacerations! Pulse is dropping!"

"We have to stop the bleeding! Prepare for a transfusion!" _That doesn't sound good. Who's hurt? _Tetsuko tried to move her arm and found she couldn't. In fact she couldn't feel much at all, it was all bubbly and float-y, like the champagne she'd stolen from her mother's liquor cabinet at Christmas. Doors slammed shut somewhere and a really bright light flipped on right in her face. Tetsuko hissed and something poked her in the arm and sleepiness swept over her again. So Tetsuko went back to what she was best at: not thinking at all.

_What was I doing? Why does everything feel so weird? Where the hell am I? _There was white mist everywhere, floating and swirling in the air. The girl had no idea where she was at all or what she had been doing. She glanced down and found that at least she wasn't naked, where ever she was. She wore her patented vest and slacks outfit, she even had her newsboy cap! The brunette took a step forward and as she moved, the mist caressed and brushed past her body as she swung her arms out to find a wall if she could. She wandered for what felt like forever, not hitting or finding anything in the clouds.

"Oh, no. This better not be one of those obligatory dream sequences." Tetsuko whirled around in the mist, searching for something to orient herself with when she actually did smack into a wall. "Ow!" The girl rubbed he sore forehead as she gazed up at the wall. "Why is this building here?" Tetsuko walked a step back and studied the structure. It was the old middle school. "How did I end up here?" The girl took a stroll around the outside of the school, finding windows into the classrooms, but no door inside. She was getting frustrated by the time she'd circled the building three times. _How am I supposed to get in when there's no freaking doors? _She stomped her foot in irritation and glanced around one last time, determined to leave if no answer presented itself. Good thing one did.

"When did my sneak-in tree get there?" The tree hadn't been there a second ago and now it was. Tetsuko walked over to the plant, flowering with its cherry blossoms and looked up. The second story window into the school was open. "Well, that's convenient." The brunette jumped for the lowest branch and was surprised when her arms burst into pain as she grabbed the limb. "What the hell?" She struggled to hang onto the branch and pulled herself up slowly. She hugged her arms close once she was sitting stably in the trees and yelped when the pain broadened to her chest. She could barely breathe now, her ribs feeling like they were broken. After an indeterminate amount of time, the girl could move, the pain fading as quickly as it had come.

"That was weird." She patted her torso and flexed her arms. There was no pain anymore. She stood up carefully and climbed the tree until she could slip into the second floor window. Once inside, it looked nothing like the middle school. Instead the girl stood in the halls of her high school, near her hiding spot in the ceiling by the janitorial closet. This didn't seem to strike her as weird and she walked down the hallway to her first period class. It wasn't her computer science class like usual, but instead was filled with kids from her seventh grade class, including a little Tomoe with his glasses and neatly combed hair and a little Antonio falling asleep in class. Or as little as Antonio could be.

"Late again, Kaburagi?" The girl's head snapped up to the sharp voice of Mrs. Razmas, the one teacher she loathed above all others.

"Yes, ma'am." The tall, skinny bat was the only one who Tetsuko ever "ma'am-ed" in her whole life. The old lady's vulture eyes bore into the girl's and Tetsuko began to sweat.

"Sit down then. I'll be talking to you after class." The crone turned back to the board, her severely pressed pencil skirt and blouse snapping as she turned. Tetsuko dashed to the only empty seat, next to Tomoe, and sat down in to the too small desk. Folding her long legs under the table proved to be a challenge as her chair squeaked to every adjustment she made. Nobody else seemed to notice the noise. Antonio passed her notes during class and Tomoe kept glaring at her whenever she giggled at what her best friend had written. Class ended when the bell rang and when Tetsuko looked up from Antonio's latest note everyone was gone. She was in an empty classroom. The girl looked down at the pieces of paper in her hands. There were no words on the pages.

She left the computer sciences classroom and walked down the hall, passing the projection room for the auditorium. Tetsuko stopped when she noticed that the door was slightly ajar. She touched the wood and slowly opened the door, peeking in cautiously. The girl walked into the projection room and noticed that once again, it was the middle school's old projection room, not the high school's like it was supposed to be. But that fact was irrelevant now, Tetsuko was watching an eighth grade Tomoe make out with her. The two children were inexperienced and clumsy as they clung to each other and the brunette recalled how nice the kiss had felt at the time. She blushed but didn't leave the room, just silently watching her and her first love kiss with passion she really hadn't felt in a long time. _We were just kids, but somehow we both knew what love was. I knew I loved Tomoe from the moment he first took my hand. It just felt right. _The girl blinked and found that she was in the hallway again, the projection room now locked. She stood up and felt a huge weight in her stomach, but when she looked down, nothing was there.

"What is going on now?" Tetsuko patted her stomach, feeling the flatness and wanting to think that there should've been a bulge of some sort right there. _I should look heavier, feel rounder. _It finally dawned on the girl as echoing voices sounded around her. They were calling her a whore, a slut, a twat. She was a pregnant bitch. "I'm carrying Kaede." Tetsuko placed her hands back on the flat stomach, a tear slipping down her face. The voices grew louder and louder, entering her ears and ringing around in her head like parrots. _Whore. Worthless bitch. Slut. Fucking twat. Why are you so useless? Worthless bitch. How can you even live with yourself? Slut. Fucking twat. . Worthless bitch. You no good to anyone now. Slut. Fucking twat. _They kept taunting and howling as the girl ran down the hall as fast as she could. Heart racing, blood pounding she tripped and fell, landing hard on the ground and flailing her arms to ward off the voices."Just stop! You know nothing! Shut up!" The girl screamed, clutching her pounding head desperation. _I can't live through this again! I don't want to go back! _"Go AWAY!" She screamed and silence fell, glaringly empty. She looked up, feeling light again. Tetsuko stood up and shook her head to stop the ringing. No longer tormented, she searched the floor for a way out of this crazy house. She wasn't staying here any longer. _I'm getting out of here if it kills me. I don't want to be here anymore. _She ran to where the stairs were supposed to be and found a wall.

"A dead end?" She turned and dashed to another staircase. Blocked. She ran to the fire escape and found that there was none. She was trapped on the second floor. The girl tried all the doors; every classroom was locked and empty. She screamed in frustration, cursing every god she knew and some she didn't. "All the fucking doors on this level are locked, so where the hell am I supposed to go now?" Tetsuko yelled at the ceiling, feeling very stupid for talking to a building. Then a window in front of her burst open with a gust of wind. The girl jumped in surprise and stared at the opening. She walked slowly to the pane and glanced out hesitantly. Outside in the school yard there was a single headstone. "Oh, so that's where." Tomoe's death happened in her sophomore year, that's where she needed to go next.

Climbing up onto the window sill, the girl glanced back into the school to make sure that none of the other doors were open. They weren't and when she turned back a tree was waiting in front of her to climb down. She jumped out of the tree and shivered in the sudden breeze that whipped her clothes as she walked over to Tomoe's tombstone. She stared at the gray stone, feeling like she was just here not too long ago, but that was impossible. Then a door burst open on the side of the middle school building. Tetsuko sighed and left Tomoe, her sadness following her was she walked away.

She trotted up to the open entrance and joined other screw ups in the detention room. _Great, back here again. _She waved at Antonio and Orlando Cooper, (both probably in here for smoking on school grounds) and glared at Yuri Petrov, the junior who was vying for number one on Tetsuko's hit list. The brunette slumped into her usual seat in the back, threw her feet onto the desk and slipped her arms behind her head. The girl tipped her newsboy cap down over her eyes as she settled into her customary detention nap. _This room is where I spent half of my senior year. Waste of time, but very good naps. _After falling asleep, Tetsuko was woken up when she leaned to far over and crashed to the floor. She sprang up, expecting to be lectured by Mr. Hansen, but was surprised to find herself along again.

"Where does everyone keeping going?" She stood up and looked around. The girl tried the door and when it opened she walked out into the hallway without a backwards glance. Determined to get out of this school, the brunette's hand was yanked back, her burned shoulder protesting the movement painfully. "What the hell is it now?"

"Watch your tongue, young lady." It was Lloyds. The gray haired man pulled her into the hall monitor's offices and dragged her over to a blond boy who glared at her. _Bunny? Wait, why did I call him that? Oh right, because his headphones looked like bunny ears._ "This is Barnaby Brooks Jr. He'll be your partner on the Public Relations committee. Get along and get to work." Tetsuko looked back and Lloyds was gone. _This disappearing act is getting old. _The two teens glared at each other and did as they were told. After what felt like hours of arguing and fighting, Bunny abruptly left Tetsuko alone. She waited for the bastard to come back, but he didn't and finally fed of tapping her foot on the floor agitatedly, she left the offices. Tetsuko smelled food coming from the cooking class rooms and dashed towards the smell as her stomach decided it was hungry. She swung open the door and was dragged into waiting on tables at Hero's Bar. The other heroes didn't think that is was weird that she wasn't in her costume and Tetusko just rolled with it. Skipping around customers and tables, the girl smiled and laughed with her friends and even teased Bunny about his costume's ears. _They really are cute, in a mecha sort of way. _He sort of chided her, but they were friendly with each other. Tetsuko tripped and fell out of the room, crashing through another door and tumbling into should've been the cafeteria. Only it wasn't the cafeteria.

Tetsuko was swept into a whirl of colors and blasting music as someone picked her up and the girl grabbed someone's hand. She dragged Bunny into the dancing club and laughed at the boy as he tried to imitate her when she showed him how to dance. She never felt so happy, wiggling and shaking with her boyfriend as Karina tormented boys and Nathan molested Antonio. Keith, Ivan and Pao-Lin where there too, jumping and squealing (in the girl's case) as they danced the night away. Tetsuko sat down on a bar stool to rest for a minute, closing her eyes to get away from the sporadic lights.

"Tired already, old lady?" The girl looked up to snap at her boyfriend and started when she found herself sitting at a lunch table, alone and in the daylight. _This is seriously giving me whiplash! When will it end? _Tetsuko sighed and walked out of the cafeteria. _Smack! _Tetsuko crashed to the floor, rubbing her head as she stared up at the handicap elevator.

"When did this get here?" The girl looked down the hallway, positive that the elevator was around the far corner instead of right in front of her. "Oh well." The brunette got to her feet and stumbled when her right leg cramped up. "Shit! Stop doing that!" She rubbed her sore leg viciously, working out the Charlie horse quickly. The elevators doors pinged opened and the girl reasoned that she was supposed to get on. She limped over and got in the transport just as the door closed behind her. She stood up straight and waited as the elevator rose, she didn't even have to pick a floor. The doors slid open again and Tetsuko stepped out onto the roof. Gray clouds shadowed the sky and the wind picked up. The teen clutched her arms around her chest as she shivered. She spotted Bunny yelling at nothing on the far side of the roof. He looked angry and hurt at the same time and Tetsuko walked towards him.

"Bunny! What are you doing?" The wind howled and threatened to blow her right off the building as the girl stumbled towards her boyfriend. Leaves blew into her face, ripped right off of the trees below and Tetsuko had to close her eyes so she didn't lose one. The wind started talking, hissing in the brunette's ears as she lifted up one of her arms to protect her face.

"_I wanted to know why you were avoiding me two weeks ago…you lying asshole!" _Was that her voice? It sounded so hateful and angry.

"_You followed me? You're such a hypocrite!"_

"Bunny! Is that you?" Tetsuko called, trying to find the boy in the swirl of wind and leaves. She couldn't see a single thing.

"_You weren't so forthcoming…I went to find out myself! Turns out your just a lying son of a bitch who was too much of dick to tell his girlfriend that he was cheating on her!" _That was her voice! Was this their fight? It sure sounded like it.

"I didn't mean it, Bunny! I take it back! Where are you?" Tetsuko stumbled around, pushed by the wind until she was slammed up against the chain link fence surrounding the roof by the voices.

"_I was not cheating on you! I was looking for information…"_

"_Good…cleared up! But it still doesn't justify…lying to me!" _

"_You've been lying to everyone…about your kid! Well I guess that proves what everyone says about you." _

"_What?" _

"_That you're a slut and this whore baby proves-" _

"_You can say whatever you want …leave my daughter out of it."_

"_Whatever…we're through then." _

"…_we can't work this out." _

"_Well, if you can't trust me…we can't base a relationship off of something like that."_

"_You're always right…I hope you're happy now."_

"I didn't mean it! Where are you? Come back!" Tetsuko pushed against the wind, but it only pushed back harder, the fence groaning under the force. The girl gasped as she felt the wind knocked out of her lungs and then she was coughing up blood. _What the-? _The fence broke and the teen was swept off the roof. She screamed and slammed into the ground far below, torn up and bleeding as she crawled along the gym floor. _Gym floor? I'm outside, how can there be a gym floor here? _Tetsuko gasped as a foot rammed into her ribs and bruised her skin. Jake Martinez's face loomed in her vision, his eyes dark and stormy like the clouds above their heads. Everything clicked in that moment and all her memories rushed back into her head. Their big fight, the mess of emotions afterwards, the avoiding everyone days at school, the jealously plan, the drag race, the text from Antonio that turned out to be Jake and the fight afterwards. _I've got to get out of here! My friends need my help. Bunny needs my help. _The school, the grounds, the sky, all vanished in an instant and it was just Tetusko floating through whiteness, hurting with a pain that ached more than her physical injuries.

Consciousness returned slowly, like waking up from a really boring exam on a warm, Friday afternoon. The panic after which when you realize that you've only answered half the questions and have exactly ten minutes to finish everything happened as well. Tetsuko sat up with a scream, tearing something out of her arm and nearly falling out of bed. Something was on her face, sucking at her cheeks and the girl yanked at the tube until it came off with a _pop! _

"Calm down, 'Suko!" Antonio's voice shouted at the girl from her right. She was panting heavily, hanging out of her hospital bed. Her head pounded, screaming at her to get everything to _shut up! _The girl gripped her head like she was trying to hold her skull together and she listened to the whirring and beeping of hospital machines. When she had the headache slightly more under control she looked up.

"Where the hell am I?" She listed, trying to right herself, but still too out from the drugs to do anything efficiently.

"Sternbild General Hospital. You've been out for two days." The world was coming into focus again, colors and shapes ordering themselves so Tetsuko could process them. Antonio was in the bed next to her and Keith was next to him. Ivan was sitting in a wheelchair by her bed.

"How are you feeling?" The timid blond asked, helping pull the girl upright and back into her bed.

"Ow." Everything hurt again and she was bandaged head to toe. At least the swelling in her face was gone. Seriously, Jake had thoroughly abused her head and it was all bandaged around her forehead and scalp. Her arms and torso were wrapped so tightly that it was hard to move and breathing was a chore because of her aching ribs.

"That's what I thought. You've taken a beating worse than all of us. You need to rest." That was probably the most the brunette had ever heard Ivan say in one breath.

"What's happening outside?" She asked, trying to get a grip on the situation. She'd been the last fight Jake had had, what if he'd already chosen someone else.

"Nobody's joined us if that's what you're wondering. Nathan's keeping us updated now that he's gotten my phone back. He gave me yours too. Apparently you dropped it at school." Antonio showed Tetsuko both devices and set them on the table so she could take a look at both.

"So that's where it went." She flipped to his messages. Nathan had been texting him every ten minutes, worried and updating at the same time. No more videos, no more abductions. "That's a relief." Tetsuko set the phone down and lay back, already sleepy again. The machines hooked up to her beeped cheerfully as she started to fall asleep again. Then Antonio's phone went off and Tetsuko was faster at grabbing it and lay back down. "It's Nathan." She announced for the sake of the whole group. She opened the message and her stomach dropped.

Nathan Seymour: Handsome's missing.

_I've got a date with your little boyfriend that I have to plan for so I don't have all day to play with you. _Jake's voice whispered in her ear threateningly. _Had he said that? Yes, he did. _She shot up again, fear racing through her veins. _I have to help, Bunny! _Tetsuko swung her feet around to hang off the bed, ignoring all her hurt (thankful for her high pain tolerance) and pushed up shakily. She fell first before she swayed to her feet. She pulled another IV drip out of her arm and nearly collapsed from the pain her body was giving her. "Damn."

"What are you doing?" Antonio asked, leaning over his own beeping machines to grab her wrist. She collapsed against his bed, knees to the floor, panting like she'd run a marathon when she'd only taken two steps. "Take it easy, pal! Stay in your bed and rest!"

"I have to help Bunny! He's Jake's next target! Nathan texted." Even those short sentences were a chore now. She stumbled another step forward and clutched her side, tipped backwards onto her bed gasping. She grunted in pain, her torso flaring up in protest at all the movement.

"Someone else has to go. You're too weak." He'd grabbed the phone by now and was flipping to the text.

"No, it has to be me. I know how Jake keeps beating us." The girl held her side tightly as she rose to her feet once again. Her eyes blurred, agony ripping through her muscles. "I've been in worse fights than this. I'll bounce back."

"I actually don't think you've ever been hurt this badly from a fist fight."

"Shut up, 'Tonio. Did Nathan happen to leave my school bag here?"

"Yeah, it's by your bed." Ivan answered.

"Don't tell her that!" Antonio protested, having to turn his whole body towards the blond to glower at him because of his neck brace. Tetsuko rolled her eyes as she walked around her bed and tripped over her bag.

"She would've found it anyway." Ivan smiled as the girl picked it up.

"Har, har," she drawled, rummaging through her backpack one-handedly.

"Why do you need that?" Keit leaned forward to look at her from his cot. Tetsuko waited for the next, "Why?"

"Because there are clothes in here." She pulled out her green shirt and black slacks to hold them up for the boys. "You can't expect me to go out looking like this." She gestured to the ugly teal scrubs she wore. The males looked down at their own attire and shrugged.

"It's fine."

"I would."

"I don't have a problem with them. I don't."

"Well, I do. Now close your eyes!"

"Why?" Antonio asked.

"I have to change, dummy!"

"Why hasn't a nurse shown up yet?" Ivan wondered, closing his eyes.

"I'm not closing my eyes. You shouldn't be leaving." Keith's eyes were closed now and only the Spaniard was being stubborn. The girl glared at him.

"Fine, then. Enjoy the show." She dropped her clothes on the bed and undid the tie on her pants. The bull-man blushed and looked away. "Wuss." She slowly shimmied into her slacks, finding more wraps around her legs and ankles.

"Do you want me to look?" Now her top was off and Tetsuko thanked the heavens she always had an extra bra if hers ever got destroyed in a fight.

"Your choice. I don't care, you've seen me naked before, remember?" The bra was a struggle but she got it on eventually.

"I don't want to."

"Jerk." The shirt was next and buttons were a bitch even without drug riddled fingers.

"Can we change the subject?" Ivan was beat red at this point.

"Sure, I need you to tie my shoes." Out came her trusty Oxfords. The flat ones.

"You even have extra shoes?" Antonio couldn't believe her.

"Yes, what dink of girl would I be if I didn't have extra shoes?" She sat down carefully and Ivan slipped on her shoes and tied the shoes for her. Keith watched with amusement and Antonio glared at her stupidity.

"Let me guess, you brought you vest along too?" The bull-man meant it as a joke but it happened to be true.

"You betcha!" Tetsuko held up the garment cheerfully.

"God damn it! Just stop already! You're in no condition to go out and yet you are! And you're joking about it!"

"Calm down, 'Tonio. I've always been a quick healer, I'll be fine." Tetsuko donned her vest and sighed in relief when she found that someone had saved her watch, ring and cancer bracelet for her. The jewelry, tie and newsboy hat went on quickly and she stood up again, more confident in her balance.

"You're crazy." Her best friend grumbled, giving up on stopping her.

"I know. Well, I'm headin' out now. I'll see y'all later!" She walked out the door with a salute and as soon as it was shut, she slumped against it, clutching her side. _Damn it. _She checked her shirt, no blood yet but it felt like her torso was tearing apart. Getting dressed had worn her out and she could joke with the boys about it, but that hurt! _Keep going, Tetsuko. You've got work to do. _She straightened up and dashed down the hall, leaving no trace behind her footsteps.

T & B

_Quit worrying. She'll be fine, _Barnaby chided himself early Wednesday morning, but he could completely push out the old lady. She'd looked so horrible two days ago when they'd rushed her to the hospital. Covered in blood and bruises, she hadn't even recognized any of her friends or Barnaby, near unconscious the whole time. The blond had puzzled over her apologies when she clung to his shirt. Was she apologizing for their fight? Was it for losing her battle? Or for bleeding all over him? Either way she was looked so broken hearted that it caused the boy some concern. He'd visited her yesterday (thankfully alone and when everyone in the room was taking a drug induced nap). She seemed so small and broken in the hospital bed, hooked up to machines that were regulating her body's functions and monitoring her health. That's when he got the text, looking through a glass window at his healing friends and his ex. Barnaby flipped his phone open to read the message.

Unknown: Hello Brooks.

Barnaby: Who is this? How did you get this number?

Unknown: Lopez's phone.

Barnaby: Is this Jake?

Unknown: Bingo! Listen, we've blown through all the people who didn't know about our little game and I'm still itching for a good fight. Your girlfriend put up a good one, very entertaining. Do you think you can do better?

Barnaby's anger flared as he read the text and glanced at Tetsuko all bandaged up, breathing heavily into her mask. _She was just entertaining? What about the others? Are we all just your playthings? _Hate and a bit of fear spiked down the boy's spine. This was his chance for revenge, the moment where he avenged his parent's death by bringing their killer to justice.

Barnaby: I can do anything better than her.

Unknown: Excellent. I'll meet you tomorrow morning out in the warehouse district in Bronze, complex thirteen. Be seeing you. And P. S. leave the authorities out of this or else your little friends might just have a little accident. Like half of the hospital blowing up for example.

Now it was time to get ready and go. His fight with Jake was happening in just a little while and Barnaby slung on his jacket, glaring at the rainstorm outside that was reflecting his stormy mood. On the one hand he was ready for this, he'd been preparing to face the monster of his nightmares for years, but he was still scared. Everyone else who'd faced him had ended up in the hospital and that was not something to brush off. The boy would have to be in top form if he was going to take down his enemy. Barnaby walked out of his apartment, flipping off the light as he left. He made his way down to the garage and started up his Chaser, the pink tinted lights glowing in the dark parking terrace. Pulling out, the blond raced out onto the street and sped away to Bronze, the slight rain slapping against his helmet. He stayed focused on his task, only sparing a glance as he passed near the hospital. _I'll stop him, don't worry guys. That bastard will pay for what he did to you, but mostly he'll pay for taking my parents away from me. _Barnaby's gaze hardened at the thought of his friend's injured bodies and Tetsuko's scuffed up face popped into his vision. _I'll make him pay. _

He throttled the engine and shot off down the streets of Sternbild. He raced to the Bronze Stage warehouse district, his heart pounding and blood racing. He was ready for this. Once he entered the industrial side of the Stage, Barnaby started recognizing the area. This was where Tetsuko raced in the video. She and that guy ran right through here, on the street he was following. The blond looked down, noticing faint skid marks etched into the asphalt that turned to the right and down another row of warehouses. _The canals are that way. _Barnaby deposited that piece of information as useless and began looking for complex thirteen. Half the warehouses looked trashed, probably because gangs had trashed the area for years. Locating the correct warehouse, Barnaby parked his bike under an overhang so it didn't get to wet in the storm. He took off his helmet and shook out his curls.

"Ready for this?" He whispered to himself. "Yes." The blond ditched his bike and walked over to the storage complex, staying as dry as possible in the storm.

Barnaby stepped into the warehouse, which was relatively small compared to the others and the roof was in desperate need of repair as rain dripped down onto the floor. Noting the puddles, the blond reminded himself to avoid slipping on them during the fight. He took off his jacket and folded it up neatly before setting it on an abandoned box. A flash of his parent's faces flashed in his memory, laughing and smiling as the three of them walked down the lighted sidewalk. It was Christmas time and Barnaby gazed up at his father's bright eyes and his mother's smiling face. Then the memory morphed into the small boy peeking into the living room where the murderer stood over his parent's bodies, gun in hand as the mansion burst into flames. As if the memory was pushing its way into the present, strains of opera filtered into the boy's head, flames licking at his eyes. Shoving every distraction out of his mind, Barnaby walked out onto the floor, looking around for Jake. Kriem waved at him from under her huge umbrella, placed out of the way but close enough to film. Her weird bears clustered around her on a couch, the woman giggled where she sat and adjusted the camera on her tripod, getting a good shot of the blonde's face.

"Welcome back to our show everyone. Just entering the floor, we have a new challenger! Let me introduce Mr. Jake's next opponent: he's out for revenge, so we call him Revenge Boy!" This is when Barnaby expected Jake to enter the "arena," but the maniac was nowhere in sight. "We're ready to start the match, but I don't see Mr. Jake anywhere! What could've happened to him?" Barnaby glanced behind him, to the left and right, then spun around searching for his enemy. The boy swore he heard a soft chuckle ghosting through the warehouse. A delighted shout sounded from above Barnaby and his head snapped up in surprise. A man was falling from the ceiling of the warehouse, laughing like a crazy person. Barnaby dodged his landing point and rolled away from the figure as he hit the floor and rushed the blond. "There he is! Mr. Jake has staged a beautiful ambush!" The fur clad man was dripping, probably from hiding in the decaying rafters and charged, punching Barnaby in the face. Thrown back, the blond flipped and skidded to a halt in a crouch and ran at the criminal. His kick was blocked by Jake's crossed arms out from his body and the boy leaped back, keeping his distance.

"Oh my, that was a really weak approach." Jake stated disappointedly, chewing on his nails.

"There's something that I need to know." Barnaby growled, analyzing his opponent.

"Revenge Boy's attack didn't stand a chance against Mr. Jake!" Kriem narrated from her perch, her chipper voice irritating the teen.

"I have only one thing to ask you: why did you murder my parents? What did you have against them? Answer me you bastard!" Barnaby kicked at Jake, the two men spinning around each other as the maniac dodged his attacks. Jake leapt back, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Let's not dwell on things that happened in the past. It's more fun to deal with the here and now." His voice was practically a growl, so low that Barnaby shivered as he spoke. "Hey, Brooks. I've got a question for you: are you such a stuck up prude because your mommy and daddy weren't there to raise you? Actually, that was Kriem's question to me when she found out that you'd dedicated your life to revenge. I would've dedicated my life to messing with people; it's more fun that way. Oh wait," Jake gave the blond a crazy smile, "I did!" The tattooed man leapt at Barnaby and the blond rolled out of the way, running to safety as he was attacked again. Jake was fast, faster than Barnaby. The criminal caught up to the boy, grabbing his shoulders and throwing his across the floor. The boy rolled, grunting as his body hit the ground but immediately getting back up stage his own attack. A swift spin kick should've sent Jake careening into a wall, but the man avoided it and punched Barnaby in the gut. Gasping as hard bone dug into his stomach, the blond folded in half and felt to one knee. Jake backed away, skipping out of Barnaby's reach.

"Come on! Get back up! Your girlfriend did every time I smacked her around, and I thought you said you could do anything better than her." Barnaby rose to his taunt, glaring at the killer. "That's more like it! I love the fire in your eyes!" Jake whooped and darted forward to swing again. His fist was blocked by Barnaby's arm and the boy lashed out, kicking with deadly accuracy that missed the bearded man again. They traded blows for a few minutes, well it was mostly Barnaby defending while Jake went on offense. Every time a blow landed Barnaby cried out, pain riding up his body as his endurance was tested to the limit.

"Here's an update: Revenge Boy looks like he's struggling, but Mr. Jake hasn't even broken a sweat! He's incredible!" Kriem was standing on the couch jumping as the blond hit the floor again. Jake was right there, grabbing the teen by his collar and Barnaby barely missed breaking his nose as he turned his cheek to take the punch. Jake threw him back after his arm recoiled from his punch and sent the boy flying. Barnaby landed on his back, hard and gasped as he struggled for breath. Sitting up, the boy rose to his feet, glaring at Jake. The man just smiled and pointed a finger at him and giggled. _If I keep attacking him, I'm bound to hit him at one point. If I can just get him to let his guard down. _Barnaby charged again and had to duck when Jake pulled his arms behind him and chucked a wrench right towards him. Hitting the ground, Barnaby heard the whoosh of the metal tool and the clang accompanied by a hiss as it ripped through some old pipes at the other end of the building. Barnaby glanced back just in time to see the whole thing explode as the water pressure released. Liquid shot all over the warehouse, sending up a cloud of mist. Barnaby shielded himself from the cascading water and scrambled out of the jet stream. _It just had to be water. As if I wasn't wet enough, now my hair's going to frizz. Shut up Barnaby, your hair will survive, concentrate on Jake! _ Kriem squealed something about her make-up running and Jake whooped, hidden somewhere in the warehouse behind clouds of water.

"Oh dear! Both of them are completely hidden in the mist! Where could they be?" Kriem's voice could be heard in the corner, still narrating. Barnaby caught a glance of her rummaging through a bag, supposedly for cosmetics. _She's worse than me. _The blond twisted around, getting his head back into the fight. He flipped his head from side to side, looking for Jake. The mist began to dissipate as the water ran out and he spotted the enemy, his fur coat turned away from the boy.

"I've got you now!" Barnaby leapt at Martinez poised to actually hit him this time. Jake ducked and smacked Barnaby in the stomach, throwing him back once again.

"You know, the thing about sneak attacks is they don't work if you them yell out loud." Jake teased as he kicked the blond even further back. Barnaby hit the ground on his back again, struggling to sit up. His muscles protested, contorting in pain. Jake loomed over him, flipping his had theatrically. "Hey, what's wrong? Is it time for a nap already, hm?" He grinned gleefully as he gloated. Barnaby's head fell back. Jake hauled him back up and punched him in the face. Then he kicked the teen in the chest and sent him flying.

"Ah yes, a delicious cup of tea." Kriem's make-up back to perfection, she continued commenting on the fight. Or not on the fight in this case as now she was sipping tea from a thermos. "And a gorgeous boyfriend." Barnaby sat up from his spot on the floor, battered and broken but my no means out of the game. He pushed his broken glasses up his nose and scowled. Jake smiled again and snapped both of his hands out in front and danced around like he was conducting and orchestra. Barnaby pushed to his feet again and Jake chuckled.

"Up again, I see. Let's play, pretty boy!" He plowed across the room and Barnaby took his stance to kick the bastard in the balls. He was surprised when Jake suddenly pulled back his arm and backhanded his cheek. The skin split and blood pooled at the wound.

"Shit!" Barnaby tenderly fingered the cut, his fingers coming away with blood.

"Oops! Did I mess up that pretty face of yours? Sorry!"

"You'll pay for that!"

"He's almost as bad as you with appearances, Kriem." Jake commented off handedly, gesturing to his girlfriend.

"Was that a compliment or an insult?" Kriem shot him a murderous glare.

"It's a compliment to you because you always look gorgeous, my teddy bear, and an insult to him because pretty boy will never look as good as you." Jake blew her a kiss and twirled in his red pants.

"Good answer." Kriem smiled and took another sip of tea. Jake moved with snake like speed and grabbed Barnaby's shirt collar, swinging the boy around before sending him careering into a wall. Barnaby grunted in pain, a moan slipping out from his lips. He panted heavily, his body aching from the abuse it was being put through.

"What a completely disappointment you are." Jake walked up to the blond and planted his foot on the boy's shoulder. "And you were supposed to be the best!" Martinez pushed against his shoulder, digging his bones into the hard surface of the wall. He pulled back only to push against his body again and again. Barnaby cried out in pain, embarrassed that he let his enemy know that he was hurting.

"We're now seeing Revenge Boy lost in despair, as he realizes the difference in power between himself and Mr. Jake!" Kriem gushed into her microphone.

"I have to get through his defense." Barnaby whispered, shoving Jake's foot off his shoulder as the maniac danced away.

"Too bad, loser. You're never going to beat me. You're just not strong enough." Barnaby was wounded and bruised while Jake looked as fresh as he had when the fight started, just more wet.

Time became meaningless as Barnaby was pummeled into submission. Punched, slapped and thrown into walls, the blond knew he wasn't going to be able to take much more of a beating. The only thing that kept him going was his desire for justice. Or revenge, whichever came first. That fire, and the promise he made on his parent's grave did allow him to give up. Watching Tetsuko fight the other day had given him something to strive for, every time he got up was one more time than she did. He finally understood how Tetsuko felt in her hopeless fight, getting the shit beat out of her like he was. She probably wanted to give up, just like he did, but even time she could, she got up and Barnaby wasn't going to be outdone by an old crone. So he got up again and again, determined to be better than her. He was thrown backwards again and flailed for something to stop his fall, but of course, there was nothing as he slammed into a support pillar and slumped to the ground.

"Uh oh! Revenge Boy is down! For a record thirtieth time." Kriem sounded just as happy as a kid with a jar full of cookies. Barnaby on the other hand, felt shitter than a cart full of horse poop. The boy lay on the ground, completely exhausted and worn out. _I can't take any more hits like this. _

"Oh come on! Would you put up a fight already? Or you'll be smashed to pieces." Jake crouched next to the down boy. "Oh wait, I get it. You're dying to see you mommy and daddy, aren't you." The mere mention of his parent's spurred Barnaby to move. He grappled with his injured body to make it move and began to sit up. "Well, I think I can accommodate you just this once. Whoo hoo!" Jake snapped his fingers again and cuffed the boy under his chin, snapping his head back. Then the man jabbed him in the stomach with some quick strikes and smacked him across the face repeatedly. _I can't let it end like this! I vowed to avenge them! _

Barnaby pushed off the floor and jumped up, his anger giving him strength.

"Good boy! Now you've got it!" Jake clapped his hands together excitedly. Just as the blond was about to plow Jake over, his phone went off. Barnaby ignored it, now was not the time to be checking his texts. Jake chuckled and dodged the boy's kick to his torso. Then his phone went off again, apparently still alive after the damage it had been put through. Honestly the boy forgot that it was in his pocket. He ignored it but the insistent chirping was irritating him. And it was causing Jake to giggle.

"You might want to answer that. It might be important." Barnaby glared at him. "Don't worry, I won't attack. You need a break anyway. I wouldn't want to spoil all the fun!" Jake took a few steps back with his hands up defensively and began to pick his nails. Barnaby checked the caller I.D. It was the old lady. He snapped his phone open, internally grateful for the interruption, but made his voice irritated to hide it.

"What do you want? Shouldn't you be resting, old lady?"

"Is that how you talk to someone who's trying to save your ass, you douche bag?" She sounded very much awake and not like Barnaby expected someone in the hospital to sound like.

"What is it now? I don't want to take up to much of your time; you need to take you senior citizen nap." Barnaby really wanted her to be resting, but he had to be a bitch about it first.

"I'm going to ignore that and still help you because the drugs say so. Bunny, you've got to do something that'll surprise him. He's studied all out fighting styles and plans accordingly."

"Really? You don't think I've noticed that?" Barnaby dropped his voice, but Jake didn't seem to be paying attention, picking the fur on his coat.

"I knew you noticed that's why I bring it up. When I was fighting him, he kept targeting my legs since most of my attacks are punching ones." Barnaby recalled the multiple times Jake had kicked her in the thighs or calves, ignoring the perfect opportunity to punch her in the face or chest. "Since you're a kicker, he's been attacking your torso and face, right?"

"Yeah so?" Barnaby was getting what she was getting at, but he hadn't figured out what to do yet.

"Do something not _you_!"

"How can I trust you?" That was the big question. Tetsuko had broken his trust, so how could he count on her now?

"Seriously? I'm trying to help you, asshole!" She huffed at him, growling into the phone. "Now where are you? We're sending the police over." _Now the police are some people I can trust better than you. I can use their help. _Barnaby couldn't tell her with Jake listening a few feet away, he had to be sneaky.

"We can't keep dragging this race out; we're just driving each other around in circles." _Maybe hiding bits and pieces of the drag race that she won not too far from here will jog her memory. Either that or she won't get what I'm saying at all. Worth a shot. _

"Huh?" Apparently it wasn't working.

"Seriously, we're hit some rough spots in the concrete and now it's just water in the canal."

"Don't you mean 'water under the bridge?'' _Now she gets one right! Dork. Come on, old lady! I'm in the warehouse district! I can't be any more obvious or he'll catch on! _Barnaby heard an "oh!" in the background and hoped that that was Kaburagi finally getting it. "I guess you're right," she sighed into the phone. "Life's not straight like a drag race and you can't always win the purse. Sometimes you just have to deal with the Bronze." She emphasized the words _drag race _and _Bronze. There you go! I knew you weren't that stupid. _"Hang in there, Bunny. We'll be there soon." _And by "we" she probably means the police, right? She's not crazy enough to come after me herself. That's just plain stupid. _"Now argue with me like you mean it."_I mean all my arguments with you. You're too irritating not to mean every word. _After they staged a fake (but real) argument about trust and relationships, Kaburagi hung up on him and Barnaby pocketed his phone, praying that the police would be here soon.

"Have a nice chat? Who was it?" Jake asked innocently.

"My ex." Barnaby took his stance again, preparing to stall until the authorities could get here. Jake grinned menacingly.

"How fun." Jake launched another series of attacks that had Barnaby protecting his upper body and dancing away so he didn't get clobbered. Sometime later, Jake got in another good blow, a kick right to Barnaby's stomach that tossed him to the floor yet again. He didn't want to get up this time, winded and almost out of energy.

"What's the matter boy? Is that all you've got?" Jake strolled around the boy. "For fun, I won't attack you, I'll just let you attack me."

"Really?" Barnaby glanced up, skeptical written all over his face.

"But I can dodge, 'kay? That way it'll be fairer."

"You're not fair at all."

"I know, but it's my game and I make the rules." The blond got up and went to kick Jake in the torso. He dodged, stepping gracefully out of the way. Another kick and another, all were avoided as Martinez continued to elude all of the teen's attempts. _Nothing I do can get through his defense. Even when he's not attacking I can't get anywhere! _

"I'm bored now!" Jake spun on the boy, catching his kicking foot and twisting it so Barnaby spun toward s the floor and hit the concrete hard. "It's my turn! See ya kid!" The criminal grabbed the boy and threw him straight up. The warehouse ceiling wasn't very high and Barnaby crashed right through a hole in the roof, his head smacking the edge and flipped him onto his back, sending his body into a roll.

"Ah! Gah! Uh, ug! Gah! Ahhh!" Barnaby skidded to a stop, face towards the sky, back resting on the roof. Head ringing and his body aching, Barnaby was just about ready to give up.

"Aw, must've thrown him too hard. That's a shame." Barnaby heard Jake laugh on the floor below him.

_Am I going to lose this fight? I've lived my entire life for revenge against this monster. _Barnaby opened his eyes, tears pooling as the rain outside stopped. Images of his dead parents ran through this mind, flames and a monster with a gun standing over their lifeless forms. The boy stood up, stumbling a bit. _Mother. Father. _The tears spilled down his face, angrily wiped away before anyone could see them. Barnaby fell back; ready to give up when he felt hands on his back. His eyes widened and he flipped around, but no one was there.

"Hey! Are you coming down or should I come up there to finish you off?" Jake yelled up to the boy, throwing random objects from the storehouse up onto the roof to get his attention. Barnaby waited, gathering his strength for a final attack. His body protested any movement and going back down there was going to be it for him. "Well, you ready yet? Too bad! Here I come!" Barnaby heard footsteps on a staircase and a trap door on the other side of the building slammed open. Jake crawled out of the opening like a spider staking its prey, with Kriem right behind him to get all the gore on tape. "There you are!" Jake ran at Barnaby, murder in his eyes. Barnaby held up his arms in front of his and blocked the man. They locked arms, wresting for dominance that Jake was quickly gaining. Kriem giggled and crooned Jake's praises, then all of a sudden she squealed and not in a love sick kind of way. Both men looked over to the woman, surprised to find another person on the roof. Tetsuko Kaburagi was struggling with Kriem for the camera, effectively distracting Martinez from his fight. _Tetsuko? What are you doing here? _Barnaby stared in shock at the woman he loved. And that revelation shocked him even more. _Do I really love her? After all our fights? After everything she's done to me? _The thoughts zipped through his heard at light speed, barely taking up anytime in the real world.

"Get him Barnaby!" The sound of his real name coming out of her mouth shocked the man into action. He unlocked one of his arms and delivered a powerful uppercut to Jake's jaw that he'd learned from Tetsuko. That was not _him, _right?

"Gah!" Jake stumbled back and Barnaby rushed the man, assaulting the criminal with a very _him_ spin kick. Jake few into the air and rolled to a stop once he hit the roof face down and groaned.

"Mr. Jake!" Kriem screamed for her boyfriend and struggled to break free from the tan hands tangled in her hair and holding her back. Tetsuko punched her lights out with a growl and laid her on the ground softly.

"Son of a bitch, I think my rib's broken." Jake leaned off his stomach, clutching his side. Barnaby stalked over to him and grabbed the murderer by his throat, and hauling him above his six-two stature. Growling in rage, Barnaby tightened his grip. "No wait! I give up. I'm in too much pain to move."Jake's voice was barely a whisper at this point, gagging on his own words as the boy started squeezing the air out of him. Jake gurgled, his mouth gasping for breath and his body twitching from asphyxiation. _I've got you now, you bastard! And I'm not letting you get away! You'll pay for killing them! A life for a life, you asshole! _Barnaby's eyes clouded over with his revenge in sight, he was enjoying himself now. Then Tetsuko walked into his vision, a serious look on her face. It told Barnaby everything. He needed to stop _now _before he became a murderer himself. The boy looked at the choking man he held and felt all the rage flow out of him, but none of the disgust. He dropped Jake on the roof, towering over him.

"You'll spend the rest of your life repenting for you sins." Barnaby's voice was hard as he glared at the wheezing, broken man in front of him. Then Tetsuko ran and kicked Jake in the face, effectively knocking him out.

"And that's for everything else, you fucking bastard!" She turned to Barnaby, a small smile on her face.

"Old lady! What are you doing here?" Barnaby fell to one knee, his body demanding a rest now that the fight was over. "What about your injuries?"

"Those old things?" She smiled, scratching the patch of skin in front of her ear. "They were just scratches, no problem." _Liar. _But Barnaby wasn't surprised she brushed off her own wounds like they were nothing. That's just how she was. She walked close to him, putting an arm around her torso, like she was covering something up. "Don't thank me." She turned away and held up a hand like she was the one who stopped Jake. Then Barnaby remembered that he was supposed to hate this woman right now, they were exes and they'd broken up. _That's right; we're supposed to be fighting. _The man scoffed.

"Honestly, I wasn't about to." He turned his voice hard, trying to keep his earlier anger in the tone, but he was just so damn tired.

"Huh? But I provided an excellent distraction!" She threw her hands up in the air like she couldn't believe what was going on.

"You are always distracting."She snapped around, glaring at him. Her eyes dilated in pain and she stumbled. Barnaby moved to catch her and she ended up throwing her arms around his neck to balance herself. After a moment of looking into each other's eyes, Barnaby had the strange desire to kiss her, as a thank you for coming to his rescue for one thing. The other things had nothing to do with anything besides his desire to hold this woman again. Tetsuko beat him to it, kissing him hard. The boy started, shocked by her actions.

"I'm so sorry, for everything, Bunny." She broke the kiss and looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry for lying, for sneaking off, for not trusting you and for saying those awful things to you." She was being completely open with him, even apologizing. _That's a first._

"I'm sorry too, for everything I said, and for not trusting you as well." He chuckled softly, "I guess we're both pretty messed up in the relationship department." She laughed with him, exhaustion written all over her face. "Okay, now that's we've both apologized, did you have to come running all the way over here? I mean, you're still hurt and basically useless to everyone at this point." It was true; she was even counting on Barnaby to hold her up.

"I was so worried about you that I couldn't stand lying around. I had to make sure you were okay." She reached up and stroked his cheek, her fingers ghosting over his stinging cuts. "Seems I wasn't quick enough. Damn bus."

"You were fast enough." Barnaby flicked her hand away and got a better grip on the girl's waist. She was practically using him to support herself. "But what if I hadn't taken your advice? What if I hadn't believed you and-"

"I was sure that wouldn't happen." She smiled lightly up at him, their noses almost touching.

"Excuse me?"

"To be perfectly honest, I wasn't the least bit worried about that. I believed you'd trust me." _There it is. _Barnaby smiled softly, his green eyes laughing at her. She trusted him, and that's really all he cared about right now. It felt good to be trusted, even if they both had to go through hell to get here.

"Alright, now you can stop bleeding on me." Barnaby propped her up and checked her over.

"You noticed?" Tetsuko looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Of course, you covered it up so obviously. You've bled through your shirt and vest." Barnaby worried over her torso wound and took note of all the bruises and scratches he could see. Her face was severely bruised, the red slowly fading into purple, but she'd never looked happier.

"Damn, that'll never come out. Well, a ruined outfit is worth you being not dead."

"You're crazy."

"And you know it."

"You look horrible."

"No, I'm as cute as a zipper."

"Button, you dork. Now I think you're just messing them up so you can bug me." The couple turned when they heard the click of a gun.

"Hand over Mr. Jake!" Kriem was holding a pistol trained in the teen's direction and she looked dead serious.

"What?" Tetsuko asked, pulling away from Barnaby. The gun followed her, which was probably her plan all along. _Always worrying about other people, aren't you? _

"Did you forget we've got hostages? We've got you little friends under surveillance and we wouldn't want them to have an accident, now would we?" Kriem was walked toward the couple, intent on getting to her boyfriend behind them.

"I didn't hit her hard enough." Tetsuko shrugged and then winced as her body protested.

"Damn this girl." Barnaby swore. He noticed that Tetsuko was hugging her side again, clearly still hurting. Jake moved behind them, getting up holding his ribs in place while weakly chuckling.

"Too bad, you lose, kiddies." He smiled evilly.

"Well, I wouldn't be getting to confident yet. Are you sure you still have any sort of hostages? Nathan texted me a little bit ago and the police sort of found the bomb you planted in the hospital when a nurse ran into it with her trolley. The Ouroboros symbol gave you away. Unfortunately for you, the thing wasn't activated, so no harm no birds."

"I think you mean 'foul' and not the fowl that's a synonym for birds."

"Shut up, Bunny." Sirens sounded in the distance, signaling the back up that Tetsuko had called. "And speaking of police, here they come."

"It'd be best if you two just stopped now." Barnaby took a step forward, getting even with Tetsuko and once again becoming her partner. A section of the roof fell off near Tetsuko's feet, caving to the weight of the people on top of it. She skipped out of danger clumsily and another section tore off.

"Run, Bunny!" The two teens ran away from the collapsing roof, the two criminals taking their cue to run as well. "See boys! This is what you get for playing ball in the house!" Tetsuko shouted as they sprinted for their terrorists.

"I do admit that we may have compromised the structural integrity of the warehouse!" Barnaby called back, his legs aching from the sprint.

"Speak English!" She yelled back at him.

"We broke it!"

"Let's go Kriem!" Jake ran for the trap door that lead downstairs, intent on getting away. The girl headed in that direction too, still aiming the gun at Tetsuko.

"No, you're not getting away from me, pal!" Tetsuko ran ahead before Barnaby could stop her and was right on her tail. The criminals ditched the door when the partners got to close to them, opting for the edge of the roof. Barnaby grabbed Jake's furred coat as he jumped off the roof and Tetsuko grabbed Kriem by the wrist, clutching her injured side and grunting in pain.

"You think you've got me? Forget it!" Jake struggled in Barnaby hold, and the way Jake twisted in the boy's grip to get away caused him to fall out of his jacket, plummeting to the ground with a high pitched scream. He smacked his head against the building and threw himself in a spin. It wasn't a long drop; one he probably could've survived if he hadn't landed on his neck. The blond could hear the break from the roof, his life's revenge evaporating as his parent's murderer died with his blood in a pool around him.

"MR. JAKE!" Kriem screamed in agony and tore at Tetsuko's hand. She edged off the roof and slipped on the wet surface, nearly pulling Tetsuko down with her. The brunette crashed to the roof, screaming as her torso hit the ground but she held onto Kriem.

"Ah!" The brunette struggled to pull the black haired woman up as she kicked and pulled on the teen's grip, her stomach wound staring to seep even more into her clothes as she bled out. Barnaby grabbed his partner's waist, pulling her back carefully but forcefully. _I'm not losing you too! _Kriem wailed and screamed in fury as she was starting to get close to the roof's edge again. She clawed at Tetsuko's hand, tearing off skin as both woman shrieked in their respective pains. Then Tetsuko couldn't hold on any longer.

"NO!" The teen reached out for the woman, trying to grab her again and missing. Kriem fell, breaking her leg as she hit the concrete below and slumped to the ground, cracking her head against the ground next to her dead boyfriend. The blond didn't know whether she was dead or alive. Tetsuko pulled at Barnaby, trying to look down again. Barnaby let her as he looked over as well. Tetsuko started to cry, her body shaking. Barnaby picked up the girl and put her on her feet. She collapsed in Baranby's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, chanting, "No, no, no, no…" He turned her around so she could cling to him. She did, throwing her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. And that's how the police found them.

The authorities helped the teens safely escape the roof and questioned them about all the incidents involving Jake. Their friends at the hospital had already broken the game rules and talked when the bomb was located so Barnaby held back nothing and neither did Tetsuko. After getting to the ground, Barnaby lost track of Tetsuko as a medic yanked her away. Once done with his side of the story, the blond went looking for her. The boy found the girl standing over the covered body of Jake Martinez, Kriem had been rushed to the hospital when they'd found out she was still alive.

"Old lady?" Barnaby walked up to her and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

"I know he's a bastard and that he murdered your parents, but still, that's a pretty horrible way to die." Her voice cracked, still heavy with tears.

"You said that about all of Lunatic's victims. You said burning was a horrible way to die."

"Any way but in your sleep is an awful way to die. That way it feels like a dream and not like dying."

"Point taken." Tetsuko wobbled and Barnaby had to catch her. He wrapped the brunette's arm over his shoulder, supporting her so she wouldn't fall. Tetsuko grabbed her side with her free arm, applying pressure to try and stop the bleeding. They hobbled a few steps away, looking for a place to sit down that hadn't been soaked by the rainstorm. Then their names were being called.

"Tets! Handsome!" That was Nathan, running towards him in his girly way.

"Brooks! Boobs! Hey!" Karina was right behind him, dressed in clothes that looked _so_ warm to the blond boy.

"Tigress! Barnaby! You're alive!" Pao-Lin ran in front of them both to reach the couple first.

"Well, you two are a hot mess." Nathan stated the obvious, gesturing to both broken bodies.

"He's right, you both look horrible." Pao-Lin turned slightly serious, but the light was back in her eyes.

"Why didn't you stay at the hospital, you idiot! You should be resting!" Karina chided Tetsuko's stupidity. Before Tetsuko could reply, they were all talking again.

"Anyway, I've got to text the boys. They'll want to know what's up!" Nathan sighed happily, clearly glad that the whole ordeal was over.

"Barnaby you're so awesome! You stopped Jake!" Pao-Lin jumped up and down joyfully.

"I suppose I should thank you, after all you save the three of us from a fight." Karina admitted haughtily.

"Sweetcheeks, Ivan and Keith all send their congratulations, Barnaby. In Keith's case, twice." Nathan winked at the blond. "We really are grateful, Handsome-boy." Barnaby felt much lighter with their praise ringing around his head. Tetsuko grumbled next to him, frowning.

"What's the matter? Why the long face?"

"Huh?" Tetsuko glanced up, miffed.

"Could it be that you want to get some praise too?" Barnaby tried to hold in his petty insults about getting attention.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Tetsuko reacted theatrically, yanked her arm off Barnaby's shoulder and pivoted around to turn her back on everyone.

"Whatever." Nathan flipped around, walking away. "Let's ignore these two drama queens and head for the hospital."

"Good idea!" Pao-Lin and Karina ran after him. "But you're really the drama queen!" Karina added.

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Wait a minute, who are you calling a drama queen? Don't lump me in with her! I'm coming too!" Barnaby trotted after them, leaving the old lady to growl after them. She grunted in pain and Barnaby stopped his retreat to check on her. Bent over her torso, she looked like she wouldn't make it back to the hospital alive. "You alright, old lady? Or do you need a hand?"

"No, no, I'm coming." She smiled softly, looking up at him.

"Right, let's go, Tetsuko." The word felt weird on his lips, but she deserved to be called by her name. _I've never actually called Tetsuko by her name, have I? Not even when we were dating. I really am an asshole if I couldn't even do that. _

"Right, uh-" She looked up at him in shock. Barnaby couldn't hold back the amused smile that graced his face. The girl blinked a few times, unbelievingly. "What did you call me?" Barnaby turned away, intent on not rewarding her any more. "Hey everybody, don't walk so fast! I'm still injured you know! It's not funny! I could collapse at any moment!" And then she did, smacking her hands against the ground to catch herself. The group rushed back to her as fast as they could.

"Are you okay?" Barnaby was the first one there, picking her up into his arms.

"I'm fine, put me down!" She tried to leap out of his hold, but cried out in pain when she twisted something.

"No, you're not! Stop struggling!" Barnaby tightened his grip slightly to hold her still. Tetsuko eyes glazed over and she started going limp.

"We might want to go back to the hospital as quickly as we can. My painkillers have worn off and this _hurts_."

"How did you even get out of the hospital in the first place?" Barnaby started running, asking Nathan to grab his jacket inside the warehouse and drive his bike to the hospital. He searched for a policeman or an ambulance for the girl.

"I told you before: I can be sneaky. Please hurry." Tetsuko curled into his chest and Barnaby snagged a police officer and asked to be driven to the hospital, the events from two days ago replaying right before his eyes: all the blood and Tetsuko's rolling eyes haunting him. Once in the backseat of a cruiser, he laid Tetsuko out, her head in his lap. She was bleeding on him again.

"Tetsuko, can you hear me?" Worry crept into his voice as he shook the girl gently.

"Sort of," she slurred, opening her eyes. "Hey Bunny, I like it when you say my name. Does this mean we can date again? Because life sorta sucked when I was avoiding you, and it was boring and I hated all the girls." Barnaby laughed at her, agreeing with the "I hated all the girls" part. Seriously, his fan girls needed to take a hike.

"I think so, but only if you use my name more often. You know how I hate 'Bunny.'" He stroked her hair softly, trying to keep her awake until they reached the hospital.

"But it's a term of endearment." She leaned into his touch, almost purring like a cat.

"Yeah, but it's still a fluffy mammal. Not manly at all."

"You're manly; it just makes you more approachable. Also I like it." She chuckled weakly, her eyes fluttering shut.

"You're weird." The conversation stopped for a few minutes, only punctuated by the police siren above their heads.

"Did you say anything about the dating? I can't remember." She spoke up again, opening her golden eyes to stare at him.

"Yeah, we can date again if you want to. It sucked when we were fighting, I don't feel like fighting anymore." Barnaby was tired of everything right now, even staying awake was a chore but he had to get Tetsuko to the hospital first, and then he could sleep.

"Me neither." She paused, reaching for his hand. "Kiss me, please?"

"Bossy, old lady." Barnaby leaned down and kissed her softly, loving the feel of her lips against hers. It just felt right every time they did it. He broke the kiss to do it again, and then leave little kisses all over her face, glad she was safe with him.

"And you're greedy. What's will all the kisses?" She didn't seem to mind his attentions in the least bit.

"I read that frequent displays of affection improve relationships and ours definitely needs improvement. Is it working?" Barnaby placed another kiss on her forehead.

"Yes, keeping going." He continued until they parked at the hospital and he carried her inside. Passed off to the nurses, his newly reinstated girlfriend was spirited away. Barnaby was put through his own tests and examinations, ending up getting bandaged himself and slapped with some painkillers, but he wasn't as bad as the others. _It's because I defend better. Fighting isn't all about offense. _Barnaby was asked to stay overnight for observation, and he asked to be put in the room with the others. Request granted, he talked with all the injured boys while he waited for Tetsuko to come out of surgery…again. Apparently this go around she'd ended up breaking a couple of ribs and the hospital staff was not happy with her escape. The "girls" came in as so as they were able, Nathan assuring the blond that his bike was safe and handed him his jacket. The boy draped it across his shoulders and thanked the boy-girl.

"Hey, did you clear things up with Tets? You two looked like something had gone on while we weren't looking." Nathan questioned Barnaby as he fussed over Antonio.

"Yeah, we worked everything out. We're dating again."That opened up a whole other conversation that was part interrogation, part relief that no one was fighting and part gushing on how cute they were together. One short nap later and a call to Barnaby's guardian, Tetsuko had been wheeled back into the recovery room, still unconscious. But it was better than nothing. All the visitors were ushered out by a nurse that evening and Barnaby spared a moment to walk over to Tetsuko and brush her wild bangs out of her face. He kissed her softly when the boys weren't looking and stumbled back to his own bed. Getting under the sheets, he yawned and took off his cracked glasses, vowing to have Maverick bring him a pair in the morning before falling asleep to the calm breathing of his friends. _Sweet dreams, Tetsuko. You'd better be awake in the morning or else I'll have to worry about you again. _She was and Barnaby had never been happier.

A/N: Yay! They're dating again! Hope you enjoyed the slug fest! (I feel so much better now that everything has been resolved! *sigh of relief* Now no one will throw bricks at me.) Remember to review and comment or else I might have to break up our favorite pair just for pay back! (Kidding!) See ya next time!

P.S. if you want to check out some art, Eipona366 on drew some sketches of Tetsuko if you want a visual! Thanks for the support Eipona!


	10. Time Skip Part One

A/N: Hey, ZareEraz here! The writer who's Queen of Procrastination except when it comes to updating for you guys! So this is the shorts series that fills in the ten month time skip in the anime where we hear very little information about what went on. Hope you enjoy! And remember to please excuse grammar and that I don't own Tiger and Bunny!

Chapter Ten: Time Skip Part One

Madcap Hospital Adventure

"I am soooo bored!" Tetsuko whined from her hospital bed. She was plugged into an IV and the dose of drugs she'd been given earlier was wearing off. Everywhere itched and her bandages cut into every part of her body, making her irritable and uncomfortable. She rolled up the sleeves of her hospital scrubs to scratch at her skin and complain. "Let's go do something!"

"Stay put, 'Suko. You'll get to roll around in a wheelchair in just a little while." Antonio looked away from the TV to dissuade the girl from getting up and doing something herself. Riding in the wheelchairs was the only time all the teens were allowed to go outside their room while they healed.

"He's right, nee-san. You should stay in bed." Ivan was the only one allowed to been in a wheelchair all the time now and that little freedom let him roll around the floor without being stopped and interrogated by every nurse he passed.

"I agree! And again, agree!" Keith called happily from his bed.

"Thanks for ganging up on me! All I wanted to do was have a little fun. We can only play so many games of 'I Spy' without vomiting." The girl pouted, carefully crossing her arms as much as she could in her condition. _How did I get stuck in a room with these guys? Seriously, couldn't I have my own room? I wish Bunny were here, arguing with him would make the time pass faster. _Tetsuko blew a strand of her dark hair out of her face and turned her head away from the boys. Bad idea. Her skull throbbed in pain, still aching from when Jake smashed it repeatedly into the gym floor. Her newly revived headache caused her to whine more until Ivan shut off the room's lights so she would shut up and take a nap or something. She decided a nap would be the best thing to make the time pass quickly and get rid of her headache.

Tetsuko's dream was all drug-muddled and wacky, filled with dancing bears, umbrellas, bunnies hopping around kicking miniature Jakes, cows chasing raccoons and other weird stuff. The girl followed her subconscious until she woke up to the sound of voices and the bright lights of the recovery room. The nurses came in to the room to help all the friends into wheelchairs so they could get some fresh air. Tetsuko nearly bounced out of bed when Sara came to help her out.

"Careful, Ms. Kaburagi, we wouldn't want you injuring yourself further." The fellow brunette smiled at the girl, her green eyes shining brightly.

"Right!" Tetsuko let herself be wheeled out into the hallway with her boys who were friends and chatted excitedly to anyone that they passed. Keith was the only other one who had to be pushed; his arm injuries were just as bad as Tetsuko's, but Antonio and Ivan were open for some mischief and when they were involved, Keith would join as well. "Hey, Sara?" The brunette twisted around carefully to glance at the twenty-something year old.

"Yes?"

"Can I push for a while? I feel better today." Tetsuko winked at Antonio who knew she was up to something. The nurse didn't suspect a thing.

"Okay, but only if you're careful." The woman let go of the back handles as the girl put her hands on the wheels.

"Antonio! Ivan! Keith! Race ya!" With a powerful push, Tetsuko shot down the hall, trailing all three boys who ditched the nurses in charge of them.

"Come back here!" Sara was running after the teens, but she couldn't catch up.

"'Suko! You're going to fast!" Antonio reached out for her shoulder, and grabbed onto her scrubs.

"This is fun! And again, fun!" Keith was keeping up nicely despite his injuries, and Ivan was right behind him laughing quietly.

"Hold on to your tacos!" Tetsuko called to Antonio as she put on more speed and skidded around a corner for the elevators.

"I'm Spanish! Not Mexican!" He yelled, hanging onto her chair for dear life. They slid into the elevators, thankfully empty, crashing their chairs into one another. The doors slid shut on four yelling teens as various body parts were put through pain.

"Level one! Hit level one!" Tetsuko called to Ivan who was closest to the buttons. He reached over and hit the correct floor, falling out of his chair in the process. Keith helped drag him back up and laughed good-naturedly at the blushing boy.

"Are we there yet?" Antonio asked, wedged between the side wall and Tetsuko's wheelchair.

"Don't start that." The girl glowered at the bull-man, ready to shove him out onto a random floor if need be.

"I was joking." Elevator music filtered in through speakers and the teens listened in silence until the door opened with a _ding! _Tetsuko shoved Keith forward since his chair was in the middle-ish and then let Ivan pull out behind him. She went out next and dragged Antonio with her.

Once they were all out she called, "Last one outside gets to give 'Tonio a sponge bath!"

"How is that punishment? I resent that!" The Spaniard smacked her in the arm, forgetting that they were all injured.

"Ow! That hurt, asshole!" She hissed, rubbing the sore spot tenderly.

"Sorry."

"You don't mean it."

"I mean it a little."

"Can we race now?" Ivan spoke up.

"Yeah, ten points for every time you run over someone's toes!" Tetsuko called, placing her arms on the backs of her wheels as they lined up. "GO!" The teens shot forward and careened down the hall, giggling like maniacs. "Eat my dirt!" Tetsuko yelled, dodging a nurse who jumped out of the way, and took the lead.

"Its dust, you idiot!" Antonio shot back sourly.

"Whatever! Watch the turn! Door! Door!" She shouted as they slid through the swinging doors of the cafeteria. They zoomed past a line of patients and visitors getting food. They raced through tables and chairs, leaving chaos behind them as they exited on the other side. "You need more mayo!" Tetsuko shouted to the ladies running the joint as she whipped around the corner. Two turns later, the four teens were in the lobby where they made a mad dash for the outside world.

"CHARGE!" Antonio yelled.

"Get out of the way!" Ivan called.

"Move, please! And again, move!" Keith spun his wheels with a powerful push and inched up on Tetsuko.

"Coming through!" Tetsuko barreled past people, avoiding collisions when possible and nearly making it outside when she got distracted by three heads of blond hair and one head of fabulous pink. _They came to visit? What bad timing! _Tetsuko waved at Bunny's, Karina's, Pao-Lin's and Nathan's shocked faces as she continued her mad dash to the doors. The sensors picked up the teens' movement and the sliding doors opened quickly to let them pass without breaking anything. Then Tetsuko's left wheel caught in a crack in the sidewalk. Her chair threw her out of the seat and onto the ground as the boys crashed into her abandoned transport and tumbled out onto the concrete. Tetsuko caught herself on hands and knees, adding more cuts and scrapes to existing ones. She turned to the mess of limbs and metal behind her.

"Okay, who's not dead?" Three male voices grunted their discomfort. "Good." Then they all burst into laughter, untangling themselves and falling back onto the sidewalk to stare up at the portion of sky they could see between high rises. Tetsuko's ribs burst into agony but she just couldn't stop laughing, gasping every once in a while for breath.

"What are you doing?" _Here comes the voice of reason. _Bunny, Karina, Pao-Lin and Nathan came running up to them. The black man latched onto Antonio and helped him back into his chair.

"Nothing." Tetsuko answered.

"Didn't look like nothing." Bunny righted her chair and carried the girl back into it. Pao-Lin was pushing Keith back into his chair, putting all her strength into it and Karina was just depositing Ivan back into his own chair.

"Well, we were bored and wanted to take a walk outside. It's such a nice day not to." Tetsuko gestured to the blue sky, even if it was a little chilly. It was winter for heaven's sake, the world was supposed to be cold.

"Well, you're supposed to be in there," the blond pointed to the hospital, "So that's where you're all going." He spun Tetsuko's chair around and called to the others. "Come on, we're going back inside."

"Awww!" More than four voices whined, startling the blond boy. The whole group, including Nathan, Karina and Pao-Lin were giving him the biggest puppy eyes they could manage.

"What?" He flipped on the friends. "Do you want to stay outside too?"

"Yes!" Everyone giggled as they grabbed their respective partners and started walking down the street. "Fine!" Barnaby turned back to the hospital staff that was running out to collect their charges. "We're just going to take a walk! We'll be back soon." He didn't even wait for them to answer before grabbing Tetsuko's handle bars and pushing off.

"Faster, Bunny! Everyone's getting away!" Tetsuko giggled as his boyfriend walked faster.

"Calm down, we'll catch up." They group walked down the sidewalks, pushing pedestrians and dog walkers out of the way as they strolled by. Tetsuko laughed, as Antiono started poking Pao-Lin in the ribs, causing her to squeal and rock Keith's wheelchair side to side.

"Careful! And again, careful! Wouldn't want to spill here!"

"Stop it, Bison! It tickles!" Pao-Lin smacked his arm playfully.

"That's why I'm doing it!"

"Well, stop tickling her and tickle me!" Nathan leaned down and nuzzled his man crush.

"Get off me!"

"You're both disgusting." Karina rolled her eyes at them and Ivan chuckled quietly.

"See, Bunny? Isn't this better than meeting in a hospital room?" Tetsuko twisted carefully and grabbed her boyfriend's hand.

"You just love it when you're right, don't you?" He shook his head at the girl.

"Yep! Faster!"

"Any faster and you'll fall out of your chair."

"Already did that! Faster!"

"As you wish." Bunny gave her chair a shove and they raced down the sidewalk. He leapt onto the little bar in the back of the chair and rode along with Tetsuko like a skateboarder, laughing warmly.

"Whee!" Tetsuko threw her hands up as they passed everyone, flying by her friends smiling.

"Get them!" Antonio shouted, spurring Nathan to do what Bunny had.

"Let's go, Karina!" Ivan waved his hand at his helped and they joined in the fun.

"Charge! Charge!" Keith called.

"I can't push you that fast unless you help!" Pao-Lin seemed to be struggling with the heavier man and got going once he helped turn the wheels. She jumped onto his chair with a whoop and sped up to the others.

"You always know just how to make anything fun." Bunny whispered in the girl's ear, leaning down.

"It's my job. I'm the oldest." Tetsuko replied pointing to the park where she wanted to go.

"I thought the eldest's job was to be responsible." He steered the wheelchair along one of the park's paths and lead the group through the winter bare trees.

"Well, that's no fun!"

"Not everything's fun." Tetsuko listened to the whoops and yells of her friends, happy that they were having fun.

"But it's nice. Faster, Bunny!"

"No, we're not going faster."

"Yes, we are!" Tetsuko grabbed her spinning wheels roughly and pushed hard. Bunny had to clutch the handles tighter as he compensated for the added speed.

"Are you trying to kill us?" He shouted, his voice joining the others who were trying to catch up.

"Nope. I just wanted to go faster." Tetsuko sat back, satisfied with her speed and let Bunny steer clear of the joggers and walkers as they clipped along. After a half an hour of frolicking in the sunshine, racing and disturbing the peace, Bunny corralled everyone and said it was time to go back.

"Do we really have to?" Tetsuko asked as they left the park.

"If you want to get out of the hospital, yes." The blond stared pushing her towards the medical center, patting her head sympathetically. The girl huffed and moodily slumped in her chair with her arms crossed. "Cheer up. I'll come visit tomorrow too." _Cocky bastard._

"It's always about you, isn't it? My whole existence revolves around your visits?"

"Yes, it does."

"You're lucky we're dating." Tetsuko grumbled. "Onward!" The girl dramatically sat up and painted forward with her arm outstretched.

"Quit telling me what to do!"

"Ooo! A skate park!"

"No!"

Christmas with a Crank

"So whatcha doing for Christmas, Bunny?" Tetsuko asked as the blond lounged on her floor. They were hanging in Tetsuko's living room, watching a movie that neither was really watching while the girl rested on the couch. She'd been released from the hospital, but the doctors had put her on a strict schedule of bed rest and Bunny was there to make sure she kept to it.

"Nothing special. Christmas is different for me since…" he trailed off and Tetsuko filled in the blanks.

"Yeah, I get it." Tetsuko felt the same way every time Tomoe's birthday or the day he died rolled by. "Do you want to spend it with my family this year? You know, since you're not doing anything Christmas Eve?" Bunny gave her a look that was part confusion part suspicion. "But if you don't want to I get it." Her voice stared speeding up, going into hyper teenager mode. "It's just a party, right? I mean we open presents and stuff and the Reeds come over for dinner and breakfast and 'Masa will come down from his new apartment and what not and we'll make it a sleepover so you're not alone, but its fine if you want to stay at home in the dark and…"

"Tetsuko." Her name stopped the girl dead in her tracks. She still wasn't used to him using it, she kept waiting for "old lady" every time he opened his mouth. "I'd love to spend Christmas with your family." Bunny gave her one of those rare shy smiles that made her heart race. "But," that single world brought her crashing back down again, "I think we need to talk about some things first." He shut off the TV with the remote Tetsuko had trusted him with. The blond put on his serious face and sat up to take a seat by the girl's feet. She scooted them over so he could have more room, tangling her legs in her blanket more.

"Like what?"

"Well, like about our fight." That little sentence had the guilt the girl had capped surging upwards into her throat.

"I-I, well…"

"I don't want to have a fight like that again. It was horrible the way we treated each other and I don't ever want to say things like that again." Bunny took both of Tetsuko's hands in her own, and stared at her seriously. "I just want to know more about you so that I can understand you better. I should've opened up more to you, that's what you're supposed to do in relationships, right? You already know that I was meeting Kriem to get information about Jake, but I should've told you that before so you didn't jump to the wrong conclusions. There was nothing going on between us and in the end, my own plan backfired and got my friends hurt." _That had to be hard, admitting he was wrong. _

"It wasn't all your fault. Jake and Kriem were crazy to begin with. And I am sorry I followed you. I'm sorry for not trusting you." Tetsuko squeezed his hands apologetically.

"And I'm sorry for not trusting _you. _Kaede is obviously a very tender subject and if you're willing to open up a little bit, I'm willing to listen. No judging." Bunny squeezed her hands back, his deep green eyes soft. She had never done this before and Tetsuko felt like she was swimming in deep waters. She wasn't very good at opening up, and here was a boy- a boy she really, really liked- and he was willing to listen to her. After a few deep breaths and a moment of looking into Bunny's eyes, Tetsuko became someone she tried to hide from everyone: a serious woman with her own emotional pain.

"When I found out I was pregnant with Kaede, I immediately told Tomoe. We weren't ready for this and I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. I was still in middle school, not even remotely ready for the huge responsibility of caring for a child." Tetsuko didn't sugarcoat anything as she spoke. Bunny deserved to hear it all. "My mother had a very complicated response: she was pleased to be a grandparent, but very disappointed in both Tomoe and me for behaving so reckless. I guess that's because she's raised two children herself." Tetsuko's solemn voice sounded so foreign to her, like a completely different person.

"Muramasa couldn't believe that I had done something so stupid and Tomoe's parents couldn't stand the fact that their son had messed around with a delinquent like me. My kaa-san wanted to keep the child when it was born and Tomoe's parents wanted to snatch their grandchild out of my dirty hands. I've always had a rocky relationship with them to begin with and now I'd just made it worse. I could hide the fact that I was pregnant for a while but the last few months of school were hell. The other students called me horrible things and my teachers couldn't even take me seriously. Tomoe saw how much the abuse was killing me right from the start, and he had suggested that we abort earlier in the pregnancy. It was unthinkable to me. We discussed whether to abort or not for a long, long time but I just couldn't." Tears started to fill up her eyes and she looked away in shame.

"I loved my baby, Bunny. I loved her before I even knew her. Even if it was my stupid mistake for fooling around, I wasn't going to end a life just because I didn't want to deal with the consequences." She disengaged one of her hands to wipe at the liquid flowing down her cheeks and felt another warm hand come up to stroke her cheek. The blond was then pulling his fingers through her hair, conscious of her bruises, and shifted closer to wrap his arms about the sobbing girl, silently waiting for her to continue. "Since I wouldn't have an abortion we had to think of other options then. Kaa-san wanted to keep the child if I was up for it but with her helping manage the store and 'Masa and I finishing up our respective schools, it would've been hard to raise an infant. It was hard enough being pregnant in school and a live baby was going to be so much worse. Tomoe wasn't about to let his own parents control our baby's life (they were kind of overbearing to begin with) and he also felt that he wasn't ready to be a full-time father. That's when we decided to look into adoption parents. We found the Reeds by accident one day while visiting the agency that would be in charge of getting Kaede adopted." Tetsuko sniffed, laughing slightly as she recalled the fond memory. "Mr. Reed was the first one to spot me. Actually I ran into him while I was talking to Tomoe and not paying attention. My boyfriend caught me and told Mr. Reed that that was my way of saying hello. We all laughed and brushed ourselves off. I asked him why he was there and the man told me he and his wife were looking to adopt. I blurted out that we were looking for someone to adopt. Then we both met Mrs. Reed and somehow it felt right. I knew that these were the people who I wanted my daughter to go to." Tetsuko knew she was soaking his shirt but she clung to Bunny as her sobs got harder.

"At least that worked out, right?" The boy placed his hand behind her head to comfort her as she cried into his shoulder.

"Yeah, but it was so hard, Bunny. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Kaede was mine and I gave her up. I was so happy holding her in my arms when she was born. My little angel, all wrinkly and red and screaming. Tomoe thought that she was cuter than me and I gave him crap about that. I mean, come on! I'd just gone through a eighteen hour labor and he didn't even have the decency to lie about my appearance." She pushed out a dry chuckle, wrapping her sore arms around Bunny's torso even tighter. "I let her go because it was the right thing to do and half the reason I do crazy stuff is so that Kaede can see that her mother does great things. I want to her to be proud of me like I am of her. I help people because I promised Tomoe I would, but I also do it for Kaede, as an example to her." Tetsuko talked into his shirt, not wanting him to see her puffy face. "Ya know, I cried for days after she'd been transferred to the Reed's home. I kept calling to see how she was doing, not because I didn't think the Reeds couldn't take care of her, but I just wanted to know how she was doing. I think they understood that, but after a while they told me to stop because they were trying to get Kaede to sleep and I kept waking her up."

"You're a dork." He chuckled at her, rubbing her back.

"And you know it."

"And I love you for it." Tetsuko's sobs stopped dead in their tracks. She pulled out of Bunny's arms and wiped her tears away with the heels of her hands.

"You love me?" She was a bit shocked. They went from hating each other to liking each other, to breaking up, to loathing each other again, to love?

"I love you, Tetsuko Kaburagi." Her mouth dropped open in awe and the girl just stared at him. Bunny started glowering at her. "This is the part where you say you love me too." She hugged him again, crying for totally different reasons.

"I love you, Bunny. " She cried into his shoulder, fully happy at last.

"The least you can do is call me by my real name, old lady!" He was the one who pulled back this time to pout at the girl.

"Oh, so we're back to 'old lady' now?"

"Only because you keep calling me a fluffy rodent."

"A cute fluffy rodent." She clarified.

"I'm not cute!"

"Yes you are." She took his face in both of her hands to grin at him. "You're cute and grumpy and insensitive and a show pony and handsomely gorgeous and I love you too." Tetsuko gently kissed him on the lips and pulled away softly. "I love you, Barnaby Brooks Jr. and I don't ever want to lose you again."

"See, was that so hard?" He tried to act nonchalant, but he was totally blushing hard.

"No, and when you're good I'll call you by your name. Maybe." Tetsuko winked at him with a smile.

"Can't you ever stay serious?" Barnaby sighed.

"I'm serious all the time, Bunny. I just hide it around everyone because they expect me to be the dorky, reckless screw up I was. I'm scared of acting like an adult because, technically, I'm already supposed to be one. That's one of the reasons I put up the act."

"Well, you can still be dorky and reckless, as long as you're serious with me sometimes. I want to learn to love all the sides of you." Barnaby kissed her cheeks one by one.

"And I want to do the same for you. So lighten up once in a while!"

"You're hopeless."

"And you know it." They sat in silence for a while, Bunny snuggling into Tetsuko's side as she scrunched herself into the back of the couch. "So, do you visit your parents on Christmas Eve?" The girl didn't know whether he'd answer or not, but since she'd opened up, maybe he would a little.

"Christmas Day, actually. You're supposed to spend Christmas with your family." Sadness leaked into his voice and Tetsuko was regretting that she brought it up.

"Can I come with you? Is that okay?" She laced her fingers in his when he tucked his head into her shoulder.

"Yeah." His soft breath ghosted against her neck, sending shivers down the brunette's spine. This was a big step for Bunny and she wasn't going to blow it. "But only if you let me carry you. You're in no condition to walk that far anywhere."

"No! It's embarrassing when you carry me!"

"Deal with it."

Christmas Eve morning found Tetsuko in Bunny's arms as he walked to his parent's gravesite. She'd convinced him that with the craziness of Christmas day at her house, that it would be better to visit the graves on the day that his parents died. He reluctantly agreed, picking up Tetsuko in a rented car so she didn't have to cling to a bike. She was also the one in charge of carrying the flowers and motorcycles and flowers didn't mix well. Actually, Tetsuko and flowers didn't mess well, but the girl was going to do her best not to drop anything. The ground was barren even with store bought poinsettias dotting the lawn, and the sky looked gray enough to dump buckets of white but it just _wouldn't_. Tetsuko was dressed in layer after layer because Bunny didn't want her catching a cold in her "condition." Seriously, what condition was she in? _Condition of nervous and embarrassed, that's what. _ The brunette used one arm to fix her green earmuffs. Bunny was carrying her princess-style, held close to his chest as they walked to the Brooks' gravesite.

"So, uh, Bunny? This is embarrassing for me, so can you put me down now? I think I can walk on my own." Her legs definitely didn't want to walk on their own. And besides, it was nice being in Bunny's arms again, even if it was a princess carry. She cradled the two small vases of flowers reverently, naming the flower meanings as they walked. _Red roses for respect, love and courage, white lilies for sympathy, pink carnations for remembrance, and white chrysanthemums for grief and truth. I wonder if Bunny knows all these flower meanings. I bet he does. _

"No, we're almost there anyway." The blond had been quiet all morning, his face strained and his body language closed off. He wasn't even looking at the girl as he spoke to her, his obvious suffering held in check by his strict code for keeping up appearances. If there was one thing Tetsuko had learned about Barnaby was that he held his emotions at a distance, keeping them hidden behind a carefully constructed façade and he knew how to react and around whom. Consequently he could let go a little around the brunette, he felt at least safe around her. _This is hard for him. I know it's hard for me. If we were at Tomoe's grave right now I'd be a bawling mess. He probably doesn't function normally on this day, staying in his house in the throes of sorrow. I know that's what I do. _Tetsuko brought her hand up to his cheek to stroke the wind chilled skin, trying to ease his quiet grief. He smiled softly at her, sadness welling in his eyes as he started to break down. He stopped in front of his parent's gravestones and set the girl down gently. She carefully kneeled down and arranged the flowers carefully on the clean cut grass. Then she began her rituals that she preformed for Tomoe's grave, habit persuading her to clean off the headstones. Bunny kneeled to help her; his hands making the work go twice as fast. Once clean, the girl clapped her hands together twice, startling the blond and sent up a prayer to her boyfriend's parents.

_Hello Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, I'm Tetsuko Kaburagi. I'm Bunny's girlfriend. Barnaby's girlfriend, I mean. "Bunny" is what I call him. We've been dating a little bit, we broke up for a while, but now we're back together again and all I want to do is stay with him. Please let me help him. Please let me protect your son. Please let me love him like you did. Or still do. I'm not perfect Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, but I'll do what I can for your son despite that. I'm sorry for you loss of having to leave Barnaby behind and I'm sorry that he's lost you too. I'll protect him in any way I can, I promise. _

"W-what are you doing?" Bunny had started crying while Tetsuko prayed, silent tears falling down his cheeks. Tetsuko scooted over and hugged him. She sat him down on the cold grass, ignoring his protests about graveside protocol.

"I was introducing myself. You're parents have never met me before." She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling his head into the crook of her neck.

"They can't meet you, Tetsuko! They're…they're" Bunny was trying to look angry, but sadness dispelled that. He was fighting for some semblance of control, his emotions coming apart at the seams.

"See what I have to put up with?" The brunette began talking to the headstones. "Bunny has to contradict me in everything I say, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. It's like he wants me to be wrong."

"Don't say that. Mom and Dad, she's just difficult all the time so I have to knock her down." _So he talks to them too. Glad I'm not the only one who talks to dead people. _

"Anyway," Tetsuko rolled her eyes, "I came here with Bunny today so he wouldn't be alone." She threaded the fingers of her free hand with one of the blonde's. Bunny looked up at her, eyes wide. "You see, I know what it's like to lose someone you love and sometimes it sucks to be alone. Tomoe told me that once and if you see him, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, tell him that your son is keeping me in line for him."

"You always need someone to keep you in line. Which is okay, Mom and Dad. It gives me something to do." Bunny cradled her hand against his face.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah." Bunny stood up, bringing Tetsuko with him. "And you'll be happy to know that I've defeated your murderer. I kept my promise to you. You've finally been avenged." His voice broke halfway through the sentence. _This_ _was the closure he needed_, Tetsuko thought, wrapping her arms around his waist. His arms came up around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"With a little help from me, of course." Tetsuko informed the parents.

"More like a little hindrance." The blond squeezed her tightly for a moment.

"I hate you."

"I thought you said you loved me."

"I love you, but I can still hate you. It's like a running theme of our relationship." Tetsuko laughed softly.

"See, this is what I have to deal with. Every day. Every damn day."

"Don't swear in front of your parents!" Tetsuko smacked his back since his arm was out of reach. "They don't want to hear that shit coming out of your mouth."

"_You_ don't swear in front of them. This is supposed to be an introduction."

"When I introduce you to Tomoe, I'll let you swear."

"That has nothing to do with this."

"Sh! Time to shut up and observe a moment of silence." Tetusko felt their argument getting out of hand and this was supposed to be a solemn visit. Bunny lightly smacked her head and buried his curls in her shoulder, crying again as soft sobs shook his body. _All the years of pain and grief must've got to him. That and the fact that these past few weeks have been hell for both of us. _The girl felt the boy letting go as he fulfilled his vow to his parents. Tetsuko felt a warm presence next to her, like a hand on her shoulder. Bunny must've felt something too because his head snapped up and clipped her chin.

"Ow!" They both looked around, finding themselves alone in the gray morning. They stared at the graves silently.

"I think they're okay now." Tetsuko whispered, not wanting to disturb the blond.

"You felt that too?"

"Well, I felt something." The brunette let her boyfriend collect himself again. "Do you want to stay?"

"Just a little longer." They stood hand in hand, gazing at two headstones until Tetsuko's torso and legs decided they had had enough of standing. Bunny carried her back to the car and they went to get ready for a party.

"They lights are not even on this side." Bunny pointed out as Tetsuko decorated the tree. She was grateful that his crisp speech patterns had returned, signaling that he'd collected himself enough to function.

"I can't only reach so high, broken ribs and all!" She complained.

"Quit complaining and give them to me." Tetsuko did as she was told. She are Bunny were in charge of the tree, 'Masa was in charge of all the other decorations and Tetsuko's kaa-san was making dinner. Tetsuko kept trying to sneak a snack because it smelled so delicious but not only did her kaa-san hit her with a spoon, but then her boyfriend would drag her back to the tree by her collar. The girl grabbed the ornament box and waited until Bunny was satisfied with the placement of the lights. She proceeded to decorate the tree with colored balls, candy canes and those keepsake frames that held photos of her and Muramasa growing up.

"You wore pigtails?" Bunny asked, hanging up a picture of the girl and her brother at an ice rink. That was the day she broke her arm.

"I was eight and it was the trend. And for your information, I also shaved the sides of my head and had long hair at one point so don't laugh if you find them." Bunny liked her long hair and laughed at her punk phase. Tetsuko laughed with him, glad to see him smiling, even if he was making fun of her. Tree all decorated, the brunette ran up the stairs as fast as she dared to wrap the gifts she was supposed to wrap days ago. _One for kaa-san, one for 'Masa, five for Kaede, one for each of the Reeds, and one for Bunny. _She counted out her now wrapped gifts, nicely wrapped she might add, nearly hidden in the mess of bows and tape that was her room. _I hope he likes it. I hope everyone likes their gifts, but I really want Bunny to like his. _Tetsuko heard the doorbell ring and the clamor of her other family enterin the house.

"Tetsuko, get down here! The Reeds are here!" The girl's mother called up to her.

"Coming!" She grabbed all the gift she could and stumbled down the stairs, catching her breath as the bottom. Chest aching, she dumped her presents with the others that had been placed uner the tree.

"Mom!" Kaede ran into the sitting room, half out of her coat and smiling widely.

"Kaede! Give me a hug, pumpkin!" Tetusko knelt down and opened her arms to the toddler. Kaede dashed into her hug, slamming into the teen with all the strength her little body possessed. The girl's ribs flared in pain and breathing became a chore punctuated by gasps of agony. Even wrapped tightly, Tetsuko could feel them shift slightly at the contact.

"Mom?" Kaede was looking up at her, concern in her big brown eyes. The teen fell backwards onto the carpet; she couldn't breathe let alone speak. "Mom!" The toddler's scream brought Bunny running in.

"Kaede, let go of Tetsuko." Bunny took control of the situation. He kneeled down by the girls and supported the older one.

"It's you, asshole!" The brunette wanted to laugh if she could've. After a moment of staring at the blond in awe, Kaede punched him in the arm once she let go of her birthmother. "Let go of her!"

"Kaede, Tetsuko and I aren't fighting anymore, but she's been hurt by someone else. I need you to take a step back so she can breathe."

"Mom hurts? Where?" The child watched her birthmother, putting her little hands on her chest softly. "Here?" Tetsuko nodded and her kid nodded back. Bunny kept holding Tetsuko as the girl got her lungs back.

"I'll…be…okay." Her sentence was broken up between her pants and Tetsuko reached out to take her daughter's hand comfortingly.

"Not hurting now?" Kaede asked.

"Yeah."

"You're not fighting anymore?" The toddler looked back and forth between the teens, eyeing Bunny carefully.

"No. See?" Tetsuko tipped her head back and kissed her boyfriend. Kaede gasped and Bunny blushed deeply.

"Yay! More parents!" The small girl clapped her hands together, all her dislike of Bunny disappearing with the thought of more presents.

"No! Don't jump to conclusions!" Bunny protested.

"Let her. She won't…change her mind…believe me."

"Tetsuko, what have you done to yourself now?" Mrs. Reed entered the room with everyone else and they all looked concerned.

"Nothing…just took out a criminal…and broke three ribs in the process. No…biggie." It was easier to talk now, and Bunny propped her up against the couch. "I get the shi-crap beaten out of me all the time." She censored her language around Kaede, no need to reinforce the swear words she'd already learned.

"Don't blow this on off, Tetsuko." Her mother was stroking her hair now. "We're all just worried about you. I should've told Kaede to be more careful."

"It's okay, kaa-san. I just love her hugs too much." Tetsuko tweaked her daughter's nose and the girl giggled. Subject diverted, Kaede started babbling about Christmas and presents and how it sucked that it hadn't snowed yet. Bunny sat Tetsuko on the couch and told her not to move an inch until dinner.

"Bossy, Bunny." Tetsuko laughed. "Kaede, come meet my boyfriend, Barnaby. He's really nice, even if we had a big fight." The girl came running and leapt up onto the seat next to her birthmother. She stared at the blond intently, studying his face.

"Cute asshole." She nodded her approval.

"You can't think he's cute!" Tetsuko protested.

"I like him now. He's poofy!" Kaede patted his hair but Bunny swatted her hands away nicely.

"Hands off the hair."

"No, _I_ like him. He's _my_ boyfriend."

"You're really arguing with a four year old?" Bunnyy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why not, it gives us something to do before dinner."

"I want him!" Kaede trapped the blonde's arm in both of hers and clung to him.

"No, I want him!" Tetsuko grabbed his other arm possessively.

"Me!"

"Me!" Bunny was tugged this way and that as the girl's fought.

"Stop fighting over me!" Ten more minutes of fighting ensued before someone stopped it.

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Reed called. Both girl's dropped the boy and dashed off to eat.

"Hey!" Bunny called out as he was ditched.

"Hurry up, Bunny, and I'll let you kiss me under the mistletoe!" Tetsuko ran back to grab the boy's hand and pull him to the table.

"That's not how mistletoe works!"

"Will both of you get in here?" Muramasa's serious voice spurred Tetsuko faster. "We're all hungry."

"Fine, fine! Let's eat!" Tetsuko sat Bunny in his seat and took her own. Dinner was lively, Kaede jabbering from her seat and the teen swapping jabs and gossip with the grownups over ham and potatoes. Tetsuko's mouth kept working so she barely ate anything until her boyfriend snapped her jaw shut so she could eat something. Once dessert was served and the table cleared, Kaede zoomed over to the tree, intent on opening a few presents before bed. All three mothers got their cameras and phones to take pictures as presents were opened. Kaede walked away with no less than three dolls, two kiddie purses, fake make-up and about ten movies she'd been dying to own. Muramasa got a CD from his favorite band from Bunny (informed by Tetsuko) and a gift card to his favorite shop from his sister. All the kids and parents got knit sweaters that Mrs. Kaburagi made herself: Tetsuko in green, Bunny in red, Muramasa in purple, Mr. Reed in brown, Mrs. Reed in maroon and Kaede in light blue. The Reed's got the Kaburagi's a trip to the hot springs and the Kaburagi's gave them the complete series of scholarly (and incredibly boring in Tetsuko's opinion) novels that they'd both been studying. Kaede handed out pictures to everyone (minus Bunny) that she'd drawn and Tetsuko told Bunny he could share hers since the kid didn't know he was going to be there. Muramasa had bought his mother a nice silver pendant and chipped in to get Tetsuko's bike repainted since her last drag race trashed the job. And low and behold, Tetsuko gave her mother a new set of dishes because she'd broken half of the other set. Everyone thoroughly distracted by their gifts, Tetsuko reached to the back of the tree where she'd hidden Bunny's present. Hiding it behind her back, she dragged the boy to the front porch and closed the door behind her.

"Here, Barnaby." She thrust a package wrapped in red paper into his hands, blushing the same crimson as the wrapping paper. "I know you're not one for gifts, but I thought you'd like one."

"T-thank you." He stammered, reaching into his pocket to draw out a green wrapped package and handed it to the girl. "I have one for you as well."

"Thanks." They both blushed at each other and then opened their packages, paper falling to the ground as their breath puffed into the night air. Bunny got his open first, reaching into the box and pulling out the black ring his girlfriend had bought him. "It's small, so it won't take up much space since I know you love your belongings just so and when I saw it I thought of you because you're a little sharp but you're solid like stone, and you're always there for me now and-" Tetusko was babbling again.

"You don't have just justify your gift, you old bat. I love it." He chuckled at her, slipping his three pointed stone ring on his left index finger. "Now finish opening yours." Tetsuko complied and opened the little back box and gasped at the sliver locket inside. The metal was etched with sweeping curls and flowers, the boarder accented with little emeralds.

"Bunny, it's beautiful." She reverently picked up the chain and let the pendant dangle before her amber eyes.

"It was my mother's. My father bought it for her because the emeralds matched her eyes." The blond took the necklace and wrapped the chain around her neck and hooked the clasp. He pulled the chain down and the girl brought her hand up to feel the cool metal against her fingertips. "Now it reminds me of you, because you wear so much damn green."

"What can I say? It's a good color on me." She twirled for him, showing off her deep green coat. He laughed at her and swept the girl up into a twirl. "Thank you, Barnaby." She fluffed his curls and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his red jacket. Tetsuko giggled as she realized something.

"What?"

"I just realized we wear Christmas colors all the time. Red and green."

"Great, now I'm going to remember that all year." As Bunny was speaking something white fell on his nose and melted. Another flake hit his glasses and smudged the lenses. Another flake hit Tetsuko in the eye.

"Gah!" She blinked the water away and gazed up. It was snowing. "Finally! It's snowing!" The girl jumped up and down in Bunny's arms, happier than a tornado in a trailer park. "Kiss me in the first snowfall! It'll be romantic!"

"As you wish." Bunny pulled her into a passionate kiss, his lips devouring hers like no other kiss they'd had. Tetsuko gasped into his mouth and his tongue slipped into hers. She moaned and lightly bit his tongue as he explored her mouth.

"Sneak." She accused when they broke for air.

"You asked for it." He smirked. "And I couldn't resist.

"Do it again." Tetsuko grabbed his collar and yanked him into another bruising kiss, fighting for dominance as their tongues dueled.

"Ew! Gross!" They were interrupted when Kaede opened the door and caught them in the act. They jumped apart as the adults came to see what was up.

"Shame, shame!" Mr. Reed wagged his finger at the embarrassed couple.

"Take a hike!" Tetsuko snapped, grabbing Bunny's arm.

"Were they kissing?" Kaede asked her uncle.

"Yes, they were." Muramasa ruffled her ponytail. "Off to bed Kaede. Santa Claus will be here soon!"

"Santa!" The girl dashed away and ran up the stairs in a hurry to get to sleep so her other presents would get here faster. Once everyone was inside, the Reeds retreated to the guest room for the night, Muramasa got comfortable on the couch, Anju headed to her room and warned the two teens who were sharing Tetsuko's room to keep it quiet so she could sleep. Bunny blushed at the comment, but Tetsuko knew her mother was kidding about the sex joke. The brunette helped Bunny settle in for the night on an air mattress (he'd refused to share her bed, even if it was just for sleeping) and he had to meticulously construct his little nest of pillows and blankets for five whole minutes before he was satisfied. He went to go brush his teeth in the bathroom and Tetsuko went to change into her pajamas. She'd gotten all her clothes off except her underclothes when her boyfriend strolled back in.

"Bunny!" She was more pissed off than embarrassed. He always seemed to walk in on her when she was changing. Hand on hip, holding out her bottoms, the girl glared at him in her underwear. He was blushing again but he wouldn't stop staring.

"Sorry." _He doesn't sound sorry._

"Is this going to be a regular thing with you? Walking in on me?"

"I hope so."

"Hentai."

"What does that mean?"

"Pervert."

"Oh, now all your conversations with Nathan make sense."

"Shut up and let me finish changing." Tetsuko slipped on her pants (thanking the heavens she was wearing sexy underwear) and slipped on her sleeping socks. She made the boy close his eyes while she changed out of her bra and into her tank top, but she suspected the blond was peeking. Bunny was decked out in a long sleeve shirt and red bottoms and a jacket. Apparently he had a low body temperature and was always cold in the winter so Tetsuko threw him another blanket and snuggled up into her fluffy comforter. All bundled up and in bed the girl called goodnight to her partner.

"Goodnight, Bunny. Merry Christmas." Tetsuko said down to her boyfriend.

"Merry Christmas, old lady." He replied.

"Hey."

"Say it."

" _Barnaby_."

"_Tetsuko_." It was like a running gag now, how they used each other's names to get what they wanted. Tetsuko smiled smugly, and snuggled into her covers, her heart light and blood hot thinking about the kisses the blond had given her. _Maybe I can get some more tomorrow under the mistletoe! _She giggled quietly, earning her a remark about getting some sleep from the room's other occupant. The girl flipped around to gaze at the locket Bunny had given her. _Best Christmas ever, _she decided, taking her boyfriend's advice and getting some sleep.

Second First Date

After the Christmas season, the biggest date on Barnaby's mind was the one where he was going to take Tetsuko out to the opera using her own tickets she gave him back in October. _I hope she doesn't mind going with me. She's my girlfriend after all, who else would I take? And she said the tickets were for me and some lucky girl, it just happens to be her. _Barnaby stared at himself in the mirror and wet his hair to comb his bangs back. Going to concerts or operas was really the only time he ever put his bangs back, for formal occasions. One last check over his outfit: a black, tailor-cut suit with a red shirt with black dress shoes and a black tie. He grabbed his red handkerchief and folded it to stick in his pocket. The blond grabbed his wallet and overcoat as he walked out the door and down to where the car was. His guardian Mr. Maverick had hired a driver for the night to chaperone the two teens on their date. Barnaby knew opera wasn't his girlfriend's cup of tea, but he was still glad that she agreed to go with him. Going with someone else would've just been weird or awkward and the whole night would've been torture.

Since Tetsuko's house was so out of the way, the girl was actually changing the getting ready at Nathan's place and then the whole thing had turned into a girl's night. Barnaby had gotten a phone call from his girlfriend an hour ago, begging for him to save her from Karina's flat iron and Nathan's make-up. The blond had refused; satisfied that Tetsuko would be in good hands appearance-wise. Barnaby took the elevator all the way to the top and rang the doorbell once he'd gotten to the complex. There was a flurry of movement inside that was accompanied by shrieks and the sound of running feet. He chuckled as the distinct voice of Nathan rose above the sudden din yelling, "Tets, get back here!" That puzzled the boy, _where could she be going? _

"Crap!" That was Karina's voice now. "She locked the door!"

"Lin! Let Handsome in!" After that order, the door finally opened.

"Hi Barnaby!" Apparently everyone had had a makeover because Pao-Lin was all dolled up. Her hair had been crimped and she was actually wearing make-up (which was not her style at all).

"Hello. What was going on in here?" Both blondes walked inside and the girl shut the door behind her. The whole front room looked like Nathan's closet threw up all over it. Dresses, shirts, bright colored pants and accessories were strewn everywhere, covering up the furniture and the dining room table was a display of cosmetics that even a hard core fashionista would be jealous.

"Well, you ran the doorbell and Tigress panicked. Something about being embarrassed or not wanting you to see her and then she ran upstairs to Emblem's room and slammed the door. I thought she looked pretty." Barnaby heard Karina and Nathan banging on said door. _And if tomboy Pao-Lin thinks she's pretty then Tetsuko must be gorgeous. _Barnaby's heart sped up at the thought. His girlfriend was hopelessly attractive in sweatpants and a hoodie (he knew that from experience), but he'd never seen her in formal wear.

"Tetsuko Kaburagi! Come out from there right now!" Nathan was yelling at the closed door now. "You're date is here! He's waiting downstairs while you're up here hiding like an incest scandal!"

"If I walk out I'll be a scandal!" The brunette's muted voice filtered down through the crack under the door.

"I resent that!" Karina was now banging on the door again as Pao-Lin and Barnaby carefully peeked up the stairs. "I worked on your make-up for an hour!"

"And that made my butt hurt from sitting for so long!"

"And don't forget I did your hair and worked out your accessories for you! I want Handsome to see all my hard work too!" Nathan began to pick the lock with a bobby pin, his fuchsia back turned toward the boy.

"But I feel ridiculous!" Tetsuko sounded really uncomfortable.

"You're acting ridiculous, that's what." Barnaby's voice caused the brunette to shriek from Nathan's room. "We need to go now. Our reservations are in twenty minutes and we still have to drive to the restaurant." The blond walked up the stairs until he edged his way in between Nathan and Karina. "What are you so scared of? It's just me." He crossed his arms, careful not to get to many wrinkles in his suit.

"Ooo! You look gorgeous yourself!" Nathan cooed, appreciating the treat in front of him. He dragged his painted nails up Barnaby's arms, sending the not-good shivers up his spine again.

"Don't touch. I just had this pressed." Barnaby brushed off his hand.

"Ouch. Well, it's for Tets to touch anyway." Nathan winked and Barnaby blushed, just a little bit.

"I'm not good with this sort of thing." Tetsuko was talking again. "This whole date is like a whole different horse race!"

"Not even close that time." Barnaby sighed and shook his head, "It's 'ball game.' A whole different ball game."

"Well, I feel like a horse in these shoes. They're too tall!"

"I'll be the judge of that. Let me see them." Barnaby decided to see if he could trick her into coming out.

"No!"

"Well, I told her that your dress shoes would have a bit of heel so that it would be okay if she wore heels too. We practiced walking for a half an hour just to make sure she could actually move in them." Karina motioned for Nathan to keep picking the lock as she talked. "I don't think she's every worn heels before."

"Dating you has made me self conscious! It's because I'm so tall! No need to make me stick out more by putting me on platforms!"

"Tetsuko, we need to go and I'm tired of talking to a door." Barnaby needed to get her out so they could _go. _

"Fine." _The name works every time. _Barnaby smiled. "But only if you go back downstairs and close your eyes. I need to make sure everything looks okay first."

"Deal." The blond did as he was told and closed his eyes.

"Are your eyes closed?" She yelled down at him.

"Yes!" Four different voices answered. The boy heard the door open and then two mother hens fussing as they clucked over their chick. Barnaby heard the click of heels on the hardwood floors and the rustle of fabric.

"Okay, you can open up now." Barnaby opened his eyes and was blown away. Tetuko was wearing a high neck, short skirted dress, in emerald of course, with a wide black belt that extended from just under her breasts down to her hipbones with two rows of white buttons. Around her shoulders was a white fur wrap that fell to just above her skirt and her hair shined like a new penny, gelled to perfection most likely. She was also wearing black gloves that only came down to the heel of her hand, along with her beaded bracelet and a sliver bangle on her opposite wrist, a silver teardrop pendant necklace and similar earrings. The overall look of the outfit was very _her_, but also sophisticated and clean with a touch of elegance. "Do I look okay?" Tetsuko was blushing, her gray shadowed eyes bashfully fluttering under her long lashes, her golden eyes pleading.

"Okay?" Barnaby swallowed, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. "You look absolutely fantastic!"

"See! I told you he'd love it!" Nathan gushed, fawning over the lone brunette.

"I think he's broken." Pao-Lin poked Barnaby's cheek when he didn't move and the boy quickly collected himself.

"I'm fine." The blond extended his hand to his date. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah." She took his hand and they swept out the door calling goodbyes. Once they were in the car Tetsuko breathed a sigh of relief. "If you took any longer I swear I was going to tear my hair out!"

"Don't do that. Nathan actually tamed it for once."

"You look handsome too, by the way." Tetsuko fiddled with her silver bangle, smiling softly.

"Thank you." He took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "And you do look gorgeous."

"I feel so out of place in stuff like this." She tugged at some fur on her wrap. "This is Nathan's. He has so much fur, it's scary." They both chuckled as they drove to dinner.

"I'm not surprised he does, but you make it look fabulous."

"Don't you mean _fabulous_?" She sang the word like the transvestite did and flung her arms out giggling.

"Just like that." Dinner went smoothly after that (no damages to be seen) and then their driver took the teens to the opera house. Tetsuko was in awe of the grandeur, her eyes wide in child like fascination. She took it upon herself to point out every little detail, from the scroll work on the banisters right down to the color of every fashionable lady's shoes. Barnaby ushered her to their seats when he got bored. Pleased that the girl had purchased seats in the center of the theater (so they didn't see the performers in the wings) and far enough back that they didn't have to stare up at the stage. Tetsuko kept pointing things out and asking questions as the orchestra warmed up to perform Don Giovanni. When the curtains finally opened she shut up and the music began. When Leporello began his introduction of the opera, the girl leaned into Barnaby's personal bubble. The blond glared at her, trying to enjoy the opera in peace.

"It's in another language? How am I supposed to understand anything?" She whispered.

"Watch and you might learn something. Italian is a beautiful language." Barnaby whispered back, getting drawn back into the opera.

"Do you speak Italian?" She asked.

"A little."

"Will you explain the plot to me a little bit? I'll shut up, I promise." Barnaby gave the shot version of Don Giovanni: Don Giovanni cavorts and seduces women and kills one of the women's father and then at the end of the play gets pulled into hell by the statue of the dead man. Knowing what was in store, the girl turned back to the stage and then had to stifle giggles as Don Giovanni was all over Donna Anna's body. "This is explicit!" She whispered to the boy. Barnaby gave her a fierce glare. "Shutting up."

She snapped her mouth shut for the rest of the act. After the first intermission, back in their seats, Barnaby was surprised that his date hadn't said a word. He glanced over, pulling himself away from the addicting music and found that she was asleep sitting straight up. Barnaby rolled his eyes at her. _Falling asleep on a date, old lady? Your age is starting to show. _The blond patted her had that was on the arm rest in between then softly, intertwining their fingers and turned back to the stage. He poked her awake softly at the start of the second intermission.

"What did I miss?" She shot up, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

"Not a whole ton. We're got the rest of Act Two to go." Barnaby helped her stand up so they could stretch their legs. She took his arm and leaned close to him stumbling a bit on her heels.

"I knew this thing was long, but geez!"

"You're the one who bought the tickets." Barnaby pointed out, leading her into the foyer.

"I didn't expect you to take me! When I got them we were still in between loathing and tolerance." She steered him towards the drinking fountain over by the bathrooms and leaned down take a drink. Barnaby could appreciate the view he was getting, her butt was really cute in that dress.

"I probably would've taken you anyway just to torture you. You know for a fact I don't have very many friends." She stood up and dabbed her mouth carefully, then pulled a tube of lips gloss out of who-knows-where to apply to her lips.

"That's because you don't get out there. You close yourself off, Bunny-chan." She waved her lip gloss at him before capping it and returning it to who-knows-where.

"I like more meaningful relationships with just a few people, if even that. I have no need for massive amounts of acquaintances." He shrugged and stepped up to the drinking fountain.

"You've got fan girls to take care of that."

"And I've got you to take care of the fan girls." Barnaby wiped his mouth once he was done and offered his arm to Tetsuko. "Back to the seats?"

"Only if you let me lean on you. My back's stiff from my last nap." She arched back, stretching her arms up and in the process shortening her skirt. Barnaby glanced down unable to resist the show.

"That's what you get for falling asleep."

"Oh, shut up." Tetsuko walked gracefully back to her seat, only tripping once when her heel snagged on and uneven carpet.

"Don't break you hip, old lady." Barnaby chuckled at her as he followed.

"I'll break your jaw!" The girl managed to stay awake for the last section of the act and when the lights flipped on she asked Barnaby what the whole point of killing off the main character was.

"' Questo è il fin di chi fa mal, e de' perfidi la morte alla vita è sempre ugual.'" He replied to her question.

"Huh?" Her face was the picture of confused.

"'Such is the end of the evildoer: the death of a sinner always reflects his life.' That's the moral of the play the ensemble sang at the end. It's basically saying that your death reflects what you did in life."

"That's morbid."

"That's classic." The couple stopped at Nathan's house to pick up Tetsuko's things while they were harassed by Nathan about how the date went. Barnaby assumed that what Tetsuko was saying to the black man in Japanese was either a very short explanation of the date or a string of very colorful curses when the transvestite started straightening her outfit. They left the penthouse and the driver dropped Tetsuko off at her house where the girl kicked off her heels with a whoop.

"Hallelujah! Finally I can take these things off!" She danced around the sidewalk in her dress as Barnaby walked her to the door.

"You're so simple to please." He chuckled at her silly behavior ducking a shoe as it was accidently hurtled back into the driveway.

"Oops!" Tetsuko ran to grab the shoes and rejoin her boyfriend at the door. "Yep, give me a beautiful evening and a bottle of sake and I'll be happy to watch the cherry blossoms bloom for eternity."

"What happens when the sake runs out?" Barnaby opened the door for the girl as she hauled her bags inside.

"I'll fall asleep for eternity." Tetsuko dumped the bags on the floor and spun around to hug Barnaby. The blond stiffened, his habit of pushing others away kicking in even after weeks of knowing the brunette who constantly hugged him now. "Thank you for the evening, Bunny." She spoke into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"You're the one who bought the tickets." He replied, gently finishing the hug by wrapping his arms around her.

"Not that, thank you for taking me. The tickets mean nothing unless you go with someone. I know you like to make memories instead of buying things to commemorate them, so I'm thanking you for the memory." Her head popped up to peck the boy on the mouth with her lips and she smiled brightly. "We should make some more tomorrow, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I'm good with that." Then the blond smiled mischievously, "Or we could make more right now."

"How-" The brunette was cut off as Barnaby captured her lips in a searing kiss, holding her closer against his body. Tetsuko chuckled against his mouth and threw her arms around his neck. They kissed deeply and a warm, pleasant feeling rush over his body. _Is this was true happiness is? I could get used to it. Being with her is just so easy._ Barnaby got distracted from his thoughts when Tetsuko's tongue was licking at his lip, as if asking for entrance into his mouth. Barnaby opened up and she deepened the kiss by exploring the corners of his mouth and then feeling very left out, the boy started to duel with her, trying to get the edge on the girl. They broke for air and Barnaby watched Tetsuko's eyes opened slowly, the very picture of sexy. He just had to kiss her again. And then his mouth was on her neck, his fingers pulling down her high collar to taste her skin. Then Barnaby did something he didn't expect: he lightly bit her neck and then nuzzled the mark he'd made on her tan skin. She gasped and giggled as the blond caught the laugh in another kiss.

"Was that a 'bunny bite', Bunny?" She teased when they broke apart again, killing the mood.

"You just love nicknames don't you?" He blushed and let go of her to let his hands slide down her body and intertwine with both her hands.

"Yep, they're cute." She squeezed his hand and smiled devilishly at him. "And 'Bunny' is a lot easier to say than 'Barnaby' because it's simpler. "

"Calling a man 'Bunny' is not cute."

"You can call me whatever you want, you already call me 'old lady' and I'm not that much older than you."

"You're old enough for me to consider our relationship cougar hunting."

"Yeah but you're the one spending money on me all the time, not the other way around."

"You're racking up quite the debt, then. The kissing makes up for it though." Barnaby smiled when Tetsuko reached up and kissed him again.

"Then let's get to work. I hate being in debt." After twenty minutes of making out, Mrs. Anju yelled at the kids to keep it down so she could sleep and Tetsuko kicked Barnaby out and told him they'd kiss more tomorrow. The blond walked out of the house completely breathless and had to wake up the napping driver so he could go home. _Yep, I could definitely get used to that every day. _

The Beginning of Spring Break: Swimsuit Vacation!

"Do I have to go?" Barnaby asked while talking on the phone with Tetsuko.

"Yes! Come on! Nathan's dad is paying for us to party! Of course, you're going!" Barnaby heard the rattle and bang of Tetsuko's own packing. Apparently Mr. Seymour thought the best thing to do for Spring Break was get the kids the hell out of Sternbild so he could have some quiet. All of Nathan's friends had been bribed into going to the beach. The beach was fine in Barnaby's opinion; he could show off his body to his heart's content without getting ticketed for lewdness. It was the sun he had a problem with. The blond burned very easily and sunburn was not attractive by any standard.

"I just find this an irresponsible way to waste a week. I have essays I could be writing and reading assignments that will be pushed back."

"You prude, just bring the books with you! Knowing how fast you read, you'll have them done in no time! Shit." Barnaby heard something break on the other side of the line and Tetsuko started swearing. "Damn it!"

"What did you break?"

"A bowl. I left it in my room and was trying to wash it out. There are shards everywhere in the sink."

"Are you hurt?"

"Na, but my kaa-san going to be pissed." A lot of scraping and clanging ensued while Barnaby imagined the girl stumbling around the kitchen with the phone pressed against between her ear and shoulder. "Anyway yesterday Nathan dragged me to go swimsuit shopping. He remembered the other one I had last year when he threw a pool party and decided that I needed a new one."

"What did the old one look like?" Barnaby grabbed four bottles of sunscreen and placed them neatly in his suitcase. Everything was folded and color coded by clothing article. He had shorts, pants, polo shirts, T-shirts, pajamas, socks, shoes, sandals and three pairs of swim trunks all in red. Now all he needed was his toiletries and to go pull some money from the bank in case of emergencies (and so he could spoil Tetsuko with gifts the way she would spoil him, which he would actually keep for once because they were from her).

"A tasteful one-piece."

"That's hard to believe."

"Believe it."

"What does the new one look like?"

"You mean the new four? You'll just have to see when we get to the beach!"

"Tease." Tetsuko giggled and Barnaby rolled his eyes at her.

"I've got to go. I'll see you at Nathan's in a couple hours, 'kay?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." And he was. Dressed in a red T-shirt and green board shorts and sandals, Barnaby was the first one to get there and rolled his red suitcase to a stop just outside the door. It was too nice a day to think about going inside and the blond just sat down on his luggage to wait for the others. When Nathan came down he had a similar outfit on, only his shorts were shorter and his shirt tighter and massively pink. He also had about three more pieces of luggage than Barnaby. Antonio was already there with his suitcase, having been dragged out by the girl-boy and sported his typical V-neck and shorts as well. Then Keith and Ivan joined them in jersey tank tops and flip flops as and they all talked excitedly as they waited for the girls. Karina and Pao-Lin showed up at about the same time, accidently wearing the same yellow tank top and Karina had to run inside to change into a baby blue one. They all sat on their luggage, waiting for the oldest member of the group. Even the van showed up before she did and everyone got their stuff loaded in it before she got there. Tetsuko came running up the sidewalk a few minutes later, toting a single duffel bag and satchel purse.

"Sorry! The bus was late today!" The brunette had on her daisy dukes and a very revealing green tube top. She yanked down her shorts when she skidded to a halt in front of her friends, hair wildly all over the place.

"Maybe you should've taken an earlier one then. Is that all you packed?" Her boyfriend asked.

"Yes, I'm not like you Mr. Hair Products." Barnaby took her duffel and placed it in the back of the van. He then proceeded to put her hair back in some sort of order before ushering everyone into the vehicle. They had a flight to catch. Once everyone was safely on the plane and in the air (they were only stopped once when Tetsuko's flatiron set off the security alarms for some reason, twice) Barnaby could finally relax. With his girlfriend settling down for a nap, Karina and Pao-Lin whispering to each other, Ivan and Keith playing on their phones and the noise of Antonio warding off Nathan, the blond took out book and began to read. Then Tetsuko shifted, distracting him. And then she shifted again, just trying to get comfortable, but it was seriously disturbing Barnaby's concentration.

"What's the problem?" He snapped his book shut, resolving to fix this problem so he could read in peace.

"I can't get comfortable." She squirmed around in her seat, causing her shorts to ride up even more. Barnaby had to avert his eyes so he didn't blush. She fiddled with the seat, putting it down and then bringing it back up multiple times, irritating the blond to no end.

"We're in first class, old lady. This _is_ comfort. Settle down so I can read."

"Have any ideas?" She crossed her arms over her ample chest, pouting in the sexiest way.

"Why don't you lean on my shoulder? You always do that when you're tired at home."

"Good idea." Tetsuko leaned over and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder, even though it had to be pretty uncomfortable with the armrest in between them. It took her a record minute and a half to fall asleep. Barnaby leaned her seat back and laid her back so she wouldn't wake up with a crick in her neck and went back to reading for two hours.

On the ground again, the friends made their way to the beachside hotel where they'd be staying for a week. The place was fantastic with a full dining room, pools, a concert hall and a salon, all with French doors right to the beach. The rooms were massive with two queen sized beds in each one with a plasma TV, mini fridge, a full bathroom and twenty four hour room service. Karina and Pao-Lin disappeared into one room to change into their beach attire, Nathan chased Antonio into another one and Ivan shrugged when Keith suggested that they share a room. That just left Barnaby and Tetsuko alone in an empty hallway.

"So, I guess we're sharing a room?" Barnaby asked his girlfriend, slightly uncomfortable with the situation.

"I guess." She didn't look too bothered, or maybe she was just being mature about this, for once. They walked in and dropped their stuff on separate beds, Barnaby on the one closest to the door and his roommate took the one near the balcony. Tetsuko disappeared into the bathroom to change. Barnaby slipped into his swim trunks and grabbed a small bag for his sunscreen, towel, snacks and bug spray and waited for the girl to emerge.

"How long are you going to take?" He knocked on the door to get her attention.

"If you're impatient just go on without me. I'll find you guys in a minute." She called to him through the door.

"Okay, see you on the beach." Barnaby left the room, meeting up with everyone except Karina; apparently she was taking forever as well. Pao-Lin skipped around in her yellow tankini, Ivan and Keith were both in navy and purple swim trunks (respectively), Antonio had army green cargo trunks and Nathan was wearing a bright pink Speedo under his see-through body wrap. They headed down to the beach and Barnaby grabbed and umbrella to shade his towel and bag. Their group had two other such umbrellas stuck in the sand and after applying sunscreen, everyone was off to the water.

Pao-Lin shrieked when Keith tossed her into the waves, soaked from head to toe as she splashed around. Origami got in the background of some other tourists' pictures and then dashed into the ocean. Keith tackled him and they both foundered for a while laughing heartily. Nathan was sun bathing on the sand and Antonio was free for the moment to grab a boogie board and head into the water unmolested. Barnaby was waiting for Tetsuko to come out so they could enjoy the sun together but he was disappointed when Karina was the next one to come out. Her swim suit was a blue bikini, designed to make her chest look bigger, and it worked. She walked onto the beach with her hair pulled up in a messy bun; eyes shaded by sunglasses and caught the attention of a lot of the boys. She joined Nathan by his towel and sat down to get a tan. Barnaby scowled in the shade, taking out his book to pass the time. His concentration was then interrupted by wolf whistles sounding up and down the beach.

"I told you that one was hot!" Nathan was standing up suddenly, and Karina peeked out from behind her glasses, envy shining in her eyes. Barnaby glanced behind him to see what all the fuss was about. He had to grab a tissue when his nose started bleeding. Tetsuko was strolling down the beach, nearly naked it seemed in her glorious tan skin. Her swimwear consisted of a black, high neck top that barely held in her breasts, cut off like a tank top to show off all of her stomach and bottoms that were just as bad as her Wild Tigress costume in the severity of the cut, exposing almost all of her hips. She'd pulled her hair back into a loose pony tail, bits and pieces of it escaping from the hair band to fall in her face.

"Yeah, yeah you were right. I've never seen so many turned on guys in one place. Your entrance had to have helped, Karina." Tetsuko addressed both sunbathers as she sat down next to Barnaby, her endless legs folding up underneath her.

"Yeah, but you stole the show." The blonde girl huffed, taking a sideways glance at the brunette's chest.

"Don't you even think about it." Tetsuko shielded her chest and continued talking. "The only reason I bought this one was because it was a 'buy one get one half off" deal at the store and Nathan told me I had to have at least two."

"And you can thank me for it. I'm sure Handsome appreciates the show." Nathan waggled his eyebrows at the boy.

"Yes, you look very attractive." He pushed up his glasses to hide his expression behind his hand.

"Come on! I was looking for something like, 'You're so sexy I just want to take you to bed right now!'" Nathan squirmed with his hands clasped together, clearly disappointed by Barnaby's reaction.

"If I ever said anything like that to her I'd do it without any of you around." The boy was blushing again, guilty of thinking those thoughts when he saw the girl.

"Stop teasing him, Nathan. I'm sure Bunny likes my swimsuit. Now let's go get wet!" _That sounded so wrong. _Tetsuko stood up again and ran out onto the sand like a child.

"Wait, don't you need sunscreen?" Barnaby called after his girlfriend.

"Oh, you're right. I wouldn't want to turn black in this sun. It's happened before." She sat down long enough to put some lotion on the places she could reach and then asked Barnaby to get her back. He loved the feel of her heated skin under his hands, lingering over the dip of her spine and the small bit of her exposed neck. "Enjoying yourself?" Tetusko teased wiggling her butt at him.

"Yes, I am actually."

"Come on, we're getting in the water now, pervert." Tetsuko grabbed the blond and hauled him to his feet.

"You make it hard not to be one in that swimsuit."

"That's the point of a swimsuit isn't it? To make guys look at you?" She grinned at him and dragged him to the ocean, leaping in excitedly. They splashed in the water with everyone and searched for seashells under the waves. Nathan waded over to Barnaby when his girlfriend was off with PAo-Lin and struck up a conversation.

"I never knew just how beat up she was. You can see all her scars." The pinkette playfully splashed the blond.

"You can?" Barnaby hadn't noticed.

"Yeah, look." He did. Barnaby noticed the pale scars littering her back and arms. He couldn't see the ones on her legs because they were under the waves. The one that he didn't want to see was thankfully covered up, Lunatic's burn mark was hidden by her top.

"I hadn't noticed until now." Nathan rolled his eyes at the other boy.

"Well, you know what they say: love is blind."

"I guess that's true in this sense."

"Hey! Get over here Bunny so I can mess up your hair!" Tetsuko waved at the boys and called them over.

"You're not touching my hair!" He yelled back as he waded over to the girl. She ended up sneak-attacking him with a dunk underwater and he retaliated by unclipping her top so she almost flashed everyone. Tetsuko managed to convince Barnaby to build a sandcastle with her and that took up most the afternoon. Once complete, the castle had four levels with towers, a moat, seashell décor and little flags that Pao-Lin had made out of twigs and seaweed. Tetsuko fell asleep under one of the umbrellas and Antonio and Keith buried her in sand up to her neck. She didn't even wake up while they were doing it but when she did, everyone got some pretty hilarious pictures, including Barnaby.

"These are so going on the blog!" Nathan snapped another as the brunette raged, her head the only thing moving in the sand. "These and those pictures of your swimsuit."

"Why must you do this to me?" Tetsuko whined.

"Because it's fun!"

"Get me out of here! I've got sand in places that I didn't even know existed!"

"That means she'll be taking up all the hot water in the room when she showers." Barnaby sighed, already missing his bathroom time.

"Or you could just take a shower together!" Nathan cooed, giving the couple a hot look.

"Hentai!" Tetsuko's face was beet red at this point, one of her arms free from her struggling.

"I would never-!" Barnaby shut his mouth before he could start lisping, he was that upset and turned on. The whole group started laughing at them both and settled down to watch the sunset once Tetsuko was free. She could only stand the sand for so long though, and left to go shower. Barnaby packed up the umbrella and returned it to the rent stand and walked inside once the sky had gone dark. The bathroom door was closed when he got back up into their room, and having already taken a rinse down at the beach showers, the blond changed into some street clothes and walked outside to give his girlfriend some privacy. He checked with the dining room staff to get the hours of their operation and then ordered dinner for the both of them. Walking back upstairs, Barnaby wasn't expecting what he saw when he got back in the room. Tetsuko was on the floor digging around in her duffle bag, her loosely wrapped towel barely hiding her breasts, skin and hair glistening with moisture.

"Tetsuko?" Barnaby made his presence known softly, trying to keep the lust out of his voice as he stared at his own version of a siren. Tetsuko was almost beautiful enough to drown him right now.

"Bunny!" She scrambled to more securely wrap her towel around her body. "You have the uncanny ability to walk in on me when I'm trying to get dressed! This happens at work all the time." She looked only slightly miffed at his intrusion (probably used to it by now) and twirled her finger around. "Turn around so I can get dressed." _She didn't ask me to leave the room? This is getting strange. _Barnaby did as he was told and waited until Tetsuko told him it was okay to look. Now dressed in jean capris and a tank top, the brunette asked what was for dinner. _She's queen of distraction, I swear. _But even though Tetsuko could forget that she was practically naked (for real this time) Barnaby couldn't and her bare cleavage kept popping into his head during dinner and she caught him staring several times.

All the teens changed into their sleepwear later that evening and they had movie time in Nathan's and Antonio's room, an action thriller that kept them all up until two in the morning. Understandably tired after that the friends all dragged themselves off to bed. Barnaby collapsed onto the bed after depositing his glasses on the nightstand and setting an alarm for eight am.

"Why so early? We can sleep in longer, ya know?" Tetsuko snuggled into her pillow, facing the blond as he flipped off the light.

"I want to keep some sort of semblance of my sleep schedule. No need to mess it up and then have to deal with the consequences when school starts back up." Barnaby blew his bangs out of his face, gazing at his roommate as the moon lit up their room.

"Whatever." Tetsuko closed her eyes and her breathing deepened a few minutes later, signaling that she was asleep.

Barnaby tried to sleep, but he was hot, then cold and every time he almost fell asleep, his body would twitch and wake him up again. And then his nightmare came back, the one with the flames and his parents slumped on the floor and couch. He hadn't dreamed of that since Jake had died, but now Barnaby really couldn't fall asleep. After an hour and a half of semi-consciously reliving one of the worse moments of his life, Barnaby did something he hadn't done for years and never with anyone other than his parents. He got up and crawled over to Tetsuko's bed. She was sprawled all over the place, her sheets a tangled mess around her legs and not ever covering her upper body anymore. Barnaby fixed her top so her breasts didn't fall out and carefully straightened the sheets without waking the girl. Then he got under them and pulled the fabric over his own body. The blond scooted closer to the brunette until her soft body was right up against his hard one. Still being cautious, the boy wrapped his left arm around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. Tetsuko shifted suddenly, pulling the blonde's head into her chest and holding him there against her breast.

"My arm will go numb after a while if you put your head on my shoulder." She whispered in his ear, startling the boy. _Damn, I got caught! She probably thinks I was going to rape her or something crazy like that._

"I-I'm s-sorry I woke you, I'll just-" he made to get out of his girlfriend's bed when her own grip tightened on his head.

"No, it's fine. Were you having nightmares?" _How does she do it? She always sees right through me. _

"Yeah." That was all he needed to say and Tetsuko wrapped both her arms and him and pulled him close to her, his head now in the crook of her neck, his body flush with hers. She tangled their legs together and coaxed him to hug her, their usual roles of caretaker now reversed since Barnaby was usually the one cleaning up after his girlfriend. It wasn't even embarrassing to be held like this. With Tetsuko, being a caring, mother-figure was natural for her and Barnaby didn't mind the comfort once in a while.

"Now, isn't that better?" She kissed his head like he was a child.

"Yeah, but will you actually kiss me?" He tilted his head up, inviting her to carry out his request.

"Greedy, Bunny." She smiled in the moonlight and leaned down. The first kiss was light, like the brush of butterfly wings. The second was light too, but the third was not. Barnaby forcefully pressed his lips against Tetsuko's, gripping her back roughly. She gasped and kissed back with just as much force, never one to have Barnaby have his way, tangling her fingers into his hair once they traveled up his neck. Barnaby licked at her bottom lip, seeking entrance into her mouth. She opened up to him, her tongue sliding along his as he explored the familiar contours of her mouth. All rational thought flew out of Barnaby's mind, letting him lose himself fin the kiss. They parted for breath, panting over each other's skin before going back for a second round. This time Tetsuko was in Barnaby's mouth, dueling with his tongue for dominance of the kiss. They hadn't had a make-out session like this in a long time and it was getting to the boy. His blood was racing, his body heating up as his hands roamed the girl's back and as one of her hands trailed down his own back, scratching his skin through the material of his shirt. His wandering hands worked their way down to Tetsuko's ass, gripping hard enough to make her gasp.

Barnaby's now free mouth latched onto Tetsuko's neck, licking and tasting her skin lightly so not to leave marks that everyone could see. She purred like a cat, baring her neck to him. On one of their experimental sessions with kissing, the boy had found that Tetsuko - despite being pushy and cocky everywhere else - liked being submissive in physical relations. She also enjoyed necking, especially when he bit her. He did so now, carefully taking the juncture of her neck and shoulder in his mouth and biting down softly. Tetsuko moaned, her voice drawing out the blonde's innermost desires and lusts. One of his hands left her butt and reached up to stroke her breast, eliciting another moan from the girl.

"Barnaby!" Tetsuko threw one of her legs around his hips, pulling him closer so their pelvises ground together. The sound of his name made the boy's heart skip a beat and he growled his approval into her skin. His hand came up from her ass to plant itself on the small her of her back, gluing their bodies together.

"Tetsuko, you sound so perfect when you come undone." He began licking her neck again, tasting her skin like he was addicted.

"God, I love it when you say my name." Tetsuko arched into his touch and then she pulled away slightly, pushing against his hand to put breathing space in between their bodies. "We have to stop." Her voice was hard, despite the undertone of longing to continue what they'd been doing. The blond pulled her close again, his head dipping into the softness of her cleavage.

"Why? You sounded like you were enjoying yourself." Barnaby said, pointing out her vocalization. He traveled up her neck and nibbled in her lower lip, adoring the moan she sent across his face, confirming his earlier statement. Her fingers untangled, the passion cascading out of her form as she settled down.

"Don't sound so smug, you're the one who started it all." Tetsuko stared him in the eyes, her eyes glazed over and a miffed look on her face. Barnaby grabbed the thigh of the leg thrown around his body in a tight grip and crashed his lips against hers, almost desperate for her touch. "We have to stop." She pushed him away gently but firmly, uncurling his hand from her thigh so their legs could tangle innocently again. "I don't want to start something that we both might regret in the morning." She stroked his face and kissed his lips softly. Heat rose up in the blonde's stomach, craving the passion that they had a few moments ago. Barnaby pushed down the feeling, trying to get a hold of his rational calm. _She's being careful with this, not wanting to repeat what happened with Kaede. _He told himself that, but the boy wanted everything that Tetsuko could give him, even if it was selfish.

"I suppose you're right for once, and I'd still like to get some sleep tonight as, even if what we were doing was enjoyable."

"At least you admitted it." Tetsuko chuckled, the vibrations traveling over to Barnaby when she pulled him close again. This time it was her head on his chest, curled up against his body. She yawned cutely, her eyebrows scrunching up as her golden eyes fluttered shut. "Maybe someday we'll finish what we've started." Barnaby's cheeks flushed at the thought of Tetsuko naked in his bed, succulently tangled in the sheets. "Sweet dreams, Bunny." _You bet I'll be having some tonight. _

"Goodnight, old lady." Barnaby covered up his tipsy emotions behind a snarky comment.

"Hey." Her irritated voice didn't sound nearly upset at the nickname as it usually did, probably because the girl was falling asleep again.

"Say it then." _Give a little get a little, you old bat. _

"'Night, _Barnaby_."

"Sweet dreams, _Tetsuko_." He didn't have any more nightmares until he woke up. Somehow Nathan had figured out how to get into the room and woke the couple up with a squeal.

"You didn't!" The black man was still in his sleepwear: boxers and that was it. Tetsuko woke up and surprised by the intruder, fell out of bed and onto the floor.

"Did what?" She asked, popping up with a seriously bad case of bed head. Barnaby's glasses were on his face a flash, his own hair ruggedly perfect for the morning.

"We didn't do anything." He stated calmly. _That_'s _mostly true for what he's implying, no point in splitting hairs_.

"You did too!"

"We did not!" Tetsuko stood up and reached out her hand. "Give me the phone!"

"What phone?" Nathan feigned innocence when they both knew he would've gotten pictures before waking them up.

"The one hiding in between your ass cheeks, pervert!" Tetsuko tackled the transvestite and rummaged about his boxers for the device. Barnaby wished she'd do that to him.

"Ooo! You fox! If only you were a man!" Nathan giggled and rolled out of her grasp before she could get his phone.

"Good thing I'm not!"

"For Handsome's sake I supposed you're right. This'll be our little secret!" One fuchsia eye winked at the couple.

"Only so you can blackmail us." Tetsuko pointed out.

"Bingo!" Nathan swept out the way he came in.

"Well, that could've been worse." Tetsuko got up and started grabbing her clothes for the day; they were touring the town until the afternoon when they'd head back to the beach.

"Worse? What could've been worse than that?" Barnaby threw his legs onto the floor and made both beds.

"You could've just left that for housekeeping. Anyway, Bunny we're in a serious relationship. Nathan expects us to do stuff like that, that's why he snuck in." Tetsuko grabbed her hair care products and walked into the bathroom. "I'm going in first since you'll take forever doing your hair!" She laughed and shut the door on him. Once dressed and Barnaby's curls looking fabulous, they both walked down to the dining room to eat breakfast with the gang. Nathan gave them a knowing look and smiled mischievously. Then they were off.

The gang cavorted around town, harassing tourists and locals alike with Ivan photo bombs, running through pictures at the last second, haggling for goods and making ridiculous orders at cafés. Somehow, someway, Tetsuko and Antonio got a hold of a two bottles of beer and had a chug challenge right in the middle of the street. Barnaby had to slap them into shape before they got caught. The girls (including Nathan) disappeared for an hour, leaving the boys to stand around and be bored to death. Luckily, Barnaby had brought along one of his assigned readings and offered to read it out loud. He was turned down and studied in silence. His ears perked up sometime later when shrieks and giggles, signaling the girl's return. They all were toting at least three bags and Tetsuko was wearing a ridiculously (but attractive) sun hat adorned with bright blue flowers.

"What are you wearing?"

"A hat." She preened in front of him while the females (plus Nathan) continued chattering. "Don't you like it?"

"Do you always have to have a hat?"

"Yes. Do you like it?"

"Yes."

"Good. And by the way, we just learned from these really nice guys-which I had to beat the crap out of because they kept pinching Karina's butt and trying to stare down my shirt-that there's a hot spot in town." Barnaby blood boiled when he heard someone was checking out his girlfriend, but Tetsuko just barreled on through. "The pier that's two hotels over throws parties every night for the tourist's kids, because the parents want them gone and the locals always crash it. We should go!"

"I totally agree with Tets here, it's going to be smokin'!" Nathan sidled up to Antonio. "Would you like to go with me?" He fluttered his shadowed eyes at the Spaniard.

"Even if I say no you'll still drag me to it."

"Glad we're on the same page, sweetcheeks." Nathan's hand reached down and-

"Ow! Would you stop that?" Antonio rubbed his butt once the black man's hand was gone.

"Nope."

"Yeah, seriously, I'm pretty sure I could scam some guys out of dinner if we went." Karina popped her gum, joining in the conversation.

"And I could get in more pictures." Ivan peeked out from under his bangs.

"You always want to get in more pictures!" Pao-Lin jumped and gave the boy a nuggie.

"I think it's a great way to spend the evening! It'll be fun, fun!" Keith clapped the two closest people on the back, which were Barnaby and Karina.

"Hands off the shirt, I just bought it." The ice queen pried his fingers off her new turquoise shirt and checked her nails.

"Okay, game plan-" Tetsuko began.

"I'm not following any game plan you come up with." Barnaby crossed his arms, smirking. She glared at him and continued.

"Game plan: we go to the beach for the rest of the day, shower and then get ready and go to the party." Tetsuko eyed Barnaby.

"Then let's go already!" Pao-Lin ran off to the hotel, trailing the rest of the gang behind her.

The beach was much like it was yesterday, sun bathing, swimming and sexy swimsuits. Karina was really pushing her breasts out with her pink halter top and wrap-skirt and Tetsuko's second of four suits was a traditional bikini style in a sea green, but with fringe hanging off her boobs. So not only did Barnaby get to watch her chest bounce, he got to watch her fringe bounce with her chest. She had to keep telling him to stop staring, but she never covered up either. Her chest also distracted Barnaby from staring at the ugly scar running down the girl's right shoulder. Getting ready for the party was more complicated than usual because all the girls kept trading rooms to use this person's make up, or to borrow this person's curler, even Nathan ran around in just his underwear once or twice before he got dressed. Once all the running was done everyone lined up for Nathan's inspection.

"Line up, peeps! It's time for me to see the fabulous!" The girl-boy clapped his hands and the crew assembled. He was dressed this time, thankfully. He wore a sequined jacket, a pink V-neck shirt, a silver scarf wrapped around his neck and his pants were sparkly. His patented pink boots tapped impatiently on the floor as the gang gathered.

Pao-Lin was ordered to change when she walked out in her bra and her excuse was, "I was trying to look like Tigress!" The brunette blushed deeply and said something about not walking out in her underwear _all_ the time. The Chinese girl changed into a ruffled tank top and short shorts with sneakers and Nathan let the sneakers slide. All the girls had braided each other's hair somehow and Pao-Lin's braid was dangling on the left side of her face. Karina's long white beach dress with blue accents and jewelry with her hair pulled into a loose braid passed with flying colors. Antonio got sent back to his room to get rid of the cowboy boots, other than that Seymour approved his tank top and long shorts. Keith's clean cut polo shirt and shorts were classic, Nathan couldn't argue with them. Ivan had to give up the _Japan_ jacket, his tank and jean combo was okayed after that. Tetsuko's outfit was dubbed "bohemian retro": a short in front-long in back skirt in a blue/green with a pair of black suspenders hanging off her waist, a lacy white tank with a plunging neckline and flip flops. Her braid was tiny, a little cornrow right down her part and accented with a white, frayed ribbon wrapped around her forehead.

"You guys make me feel old when you say I'm retro!" Tetsuko twisted her promise ring in irritation.

"You are older than all of us, with the exception of Antonio." Barnaby pointed out.

"Says the guy who's going through his grunge phase."

"This is not grunge," Barnaby pointed at his black T-shirt and short red hoodie jacket to clarify, "This is laid back. Just like you are." He flipped his hood over his curls (pulled back in a short pony tail), shoved his hands into his jean pockets and winked at her. He was also wearing his black ring and a shark tooth necklace his girlfriend bought for him. It completed the look no matter how tacky it was.

"I happen to like the laid back look." Nathan's fingers wandered down his back and the blond twisted out of his grasp.

"As long as you're not laying my back-side you can like it all you want. Your friend with benefits is Lopez."

"Is not!" The Spaniard yelled.

"Deal with it, 'Tonio. Nathan's going to bang you any day now." Tetsuko smirked evilly at her best friend.

"Don't say that!" Antonio protested, blushing slightly.

"Well, you _are_ sharing a room." The brunette pointed out.

"I locked myself in the bathroom last night I'll have you know!"

"Your loss, sweetcheeks." Nathan winked at him.

"I don't need to be learning about gay relationships at my age! Can we go?" Pao-Lin whined, skipping down to the elevator.

"Quick! Before I'm molested!" Antonio dashed after the girl. Barnaby grabbed Tetsuko's hand and they all dashed off to crash a party.

A/N: Well there's part one! Part Two will be out next week just like always! Hope you enjoyed it! Disclaimer: I don't speak Italian so don't harass me if the Italian bit is incorrect. Remember to comment and review because they make me feel good! See ya!


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